Spirit Bound: Blood Red
by Kame-Fey
Summary: Rose Hathaway is on a mission. After taking her graduation exam, she is off on adventure across the country in search of Robert Doru while constantly dealing with her sunlight resistant Strigoi teacher, new and old love interests, and just being herself.
1. Stress

**[[A/N: OMAHGOSH! This is my first Vampire Academy fanfiction! This is the summary: **

**Dimitiri is coming, but promises that Rose made to seemingly everyone at St. Vlad's has kept her from actively taking measures to find Victor Dashkov's illegitimate brother. But Rose is smarter now. She's changed since Russia, and knows not to go gung-ho on everything now. It's changed her, and people have noticed.**

**It's the week before graduation, and Rose begins to recognize signs of Dimitri's proximity. But under oath to Lissa and her kickass mother, Janine, Rose has to make it through the final Guardian exam until she is finally able to go find Victor. **

**What will happen as the clock begins to tick down on the time Rose has under the safe borders of St. Vlad's?]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Disclaimer stuff. I only own the plot.]]**

**--**

**Spirit Bound; Blood Red**

It was so hard to believe that in one week, I'd be free from St. Vladimir's and set loose to be Lissa's Guardian. Of course, that also kept in mind my success in passing the final exam on Thursday – the Breaker, probably the most realistic thing a Guardian-in-training could experience before actually being face-to-face with a real Strigoi.

A grueling two day trek over a mountain, carrying a 120 pound dummy (a.k.a The Incapacitated Moroi Charge), fending off Strigoi (a.k.a Dhampir Instructors), and finding food and shelter every night. Better yet were the rules to this exam: I had 2 days exactly to get over the mountain to the other side. I needed to complete this without getting my charge or myself "killed." I could drop out of the race by shooting a flare into the sky. If I drop out, get killed, get my charge killed, or fail to reach the finish line, I fail the exam and am forced to take supplementary classes over the summer until the instructors are satisfied with my work—not something I plan to do when I'm also planning on heading off to find Victor's half-brother.

I tapped my pencil to my chin, my mind wandering during math class; big shocker there. I didn't really believe that the Breaker would be that challenging. Considering my rather badass reputation of Strigoi kills, I wasn't worried about failing.

"Miss Hathaway, can you please tell me the answer to this equation?" the teacher asked imperiously. I stifled a yawn. All teachers were the same, whether they were middle-aged, minimum wage humans or middle-aged, Moroi teachers who happen to work in one of the few vampire academies in the world.

I smiled. "That's easy. It's—" I began to say, but the shrill ring of the end bell cut me off. Had life ever gotten so cliché?

I quickly picked up my stuff and practically ran out the door. Ever since Alberta put me in extra Guardian training, I'd been without a moment of free time.

"Little dhampir, off to another extra class again?"

I turned and saw Adrian leaning oh-so-debonair against the stair banister.

"Adrian," I said, "don't you have some paper to be working on?"

Adrian's casual smile broadened even more at the mention of his boyfriend application—totally unexpected. I had made a personal bet that he would drop the whole assignment within a week. Turns out, he was pretty determined to get in my pants…well maybe not that fast.

"You're enjoying it, aren't you," I commented, shifting my weight to one foot.

"The paper has only made me realized my true feelings for you," he replied smoothly. I snorted. He'd probably rehearsed this conversation in the mirror.

"Really," I said. But suddenly, a feeling of seriousness washed over me. "Adrian, do you really want this? To go on a date with me?"

"You're thinking I can't handle a date with the kickass novice Guardian that has the vampire world on edge?" Adrian assumed, flashing a grin that would make other girls crumble—I'm not like those girls. Not since I'd gotten back from Russia.

I shook my head. "Never mind," I said, unwilling to ruin his unusually cheerful mood. I turned to walk away. I was already late for extra classes with, guess who, Eddie. Turns out, he's planning on staying at St. Vlad's for teacher training. But I still could kick his butt more times than not.

"Hey, little dhampir," Adrian said quickly, catching my shoulder with his hand. I looked at him.

"What?" I asked tiredly.

"Have you and Lissa tried that spirit healing stuff that the other spirit user mentioned?" Adrian asked, referring to Oksana.

"No," I said slowly. "What's it to you though? Is my aura darkening again?"

Adrian nodded. "But that's to be expected. You're closer to Lissa again. But it's getting darker…like a sky that sees light then dark, but the sun has yet to return to greet it. A lonely sky that is, surrounded by the stars that dazzle it, but forever separated." He paused, his eyes gazing off into the distance. It had a faraway look that I'd seen before. Not very many times, but I remembered that one incident I'd seen it. Back at the ski lodge.

"Adrian, don't talk to me when you're sober," I teased shakily. "It just ruins my impression of you."

Adrian smiled dreamily. "Sorry," he said. He turned on his heels and sped back up the staircase. I glanced after him, frowning. Why was he sober?

I didn't have much time to think about that…or anything for that matter. Because from my other side, I spotted Eddie running towards me. He didn't seem angry for me completely missing his lesson. But he rarely seemed angry anymore. He'd changed, just like me.

"Rose, why didn't you come?" he asked worriedly. "I was waiting."

"Sorry, Eddie," I apologized. "Adrian caught me on the stairs and started rambling on about some stuff." I didn't mention that it reflected my personal life (quite accurately, oddly enough) in a strange, but poetic metaphor.

"Come on then. Alberta won't give you the credit that you are missing unless you attend my practices," Eddie said, pulling me towards the gym.

I followed willingly. Eddie had really transformed into a competent leader. I knew that this was probably one of the last times I'd see him, unless Lissa decided to come back to the campus. Then again, I had no idea how I'd fit saving Dimitri, jail breaking a crazy Moroi royal from a high-security prison, attending college, and keeping up political appearances in Court into one lifetime. Sounded like I needed several. But then again, my Rose Hathaway determination always got me through.

"Eddie, I'm going to miss you," I said suddenly.

Eddie stopped walking and looked at me. I saw the scars from Isiah's fangs along his neck, red against his pale skin. They'd healed as well as possible, but I didn't think the old, jokester Eddie Castile would ever come back. I kind of missed him.

"I'll miss you too, Rose," he said softly. He laughed. "Hell, I'll really miss all the good times. But if you don't come to practice anymore, I won't have to worry about that."

I smiled. That seemed more like him. "You're right."

We traveled to the gym in silence. The doors were wide open. Technically, the gym was open to everyone at the time, but Moroi tended to hang out in the dining hall and the dhampir avoided the gym unless they were needed—it was our second home that we didn't want, so to say.

Eddie had dragged several practice dummies into the middle of the court.

"What's the lesson for today?" I said wearily. I suddenly felt extremely exhausted.

"I'd planned for a simple staking practice, since you seem to keep insisting on working on that," Eddie replied, moving to stand the dummies up on their metal poles.

I nodded. I definitely needed practice on that. How many times had I missed in Russia? Twice? And the last time, when I put all my heart and soul into that final kill, I still couldn't hit Dimitri's heart. I beat myself up for that every time I touched my stake.

"Rosemarie Hathaway!"

I laughed quietly. It seemed like I was a popular commodity that day.

It was a young, Moroi woman. I'd seen her around. She usually appeared in classrooms to bring a student to the main office, followed by a round of "Oh" an "Haha." At least this time I was spared the embarrassment of having my retrieval broadcasted to twenty classmates.

"You are requested in the main office," the woman said. I nodded. But the woman didn't leave. I sighed, getting the picture. I supposed the administrative branch of St. Vlad's had gotten a little smarter on how to deal with Rose Hathaway—mainly to make sure she is supervised all the time.

I said goodbye to Eddie, sending him a silent plea for help. But my good ol' pal shrugged innocently, proceeding to disassemble the dummies for storage.

The woman led me down the corridors to the administrative building. I wondered what Alberta had to say to me, when she already had her hands full in preparation for the Breaker and arranging assignments for the students after graduation.

But when I stepped into the lobby, I was shocked to see a blond Moroi woman wearing a cashmere sweater dress standing there, waiting for me.

"Deirdre, I'm meeting you?" I asked incredulously.

My old counselor smiled—I groaned. I hated those smiles. And I really hated Deirdre. Well I guess I didn't hate her as a person. She was annoying, I admit, but I hated the helljob she called a profession much more.

"Rose, it'll only take a few minutes," Deirdre said calmly. She beckoned me to follow her to her office. I knew the way well.

We sat down in our usual spots. It hadn't changed in the month I was absent. The silly nature pictures hung on the wall next to her impressive amounts of psychotherapy awards.

"So, Rose. Let's talk about school," Deirdre began, taking out her usual notebook. I was pretty sure that she had a whole novel on my appointments with her.

"Am I starting therapy sessions again?" I asked slowly. "Because I'm pretty sure that requires an hour of the day that I don't have anymore."

"Just today. I've been instructed to evaluate your psychological profile before you take the Breaker," Deirdre explained. I was shocked. It was rare for her to explain rather than to ask. And she did that a lot.

"Oh," I said shortly. "Well school has been fine."

"Can you explain fine for me?"

There we go. Deirdre certainly didn't disappoint me. And here I had gone insulting her by thinking she had moved away from the question-question tactic.

"I don't have any free time anymore, but I agreed to taking extra lessons in order to get enough credits to graduate. This is my choice," I said firmly.

"Do you dislike having no free time?" Deirdre pressed.

I sighed. I remembered my first sessions with her and how vexed she made me with all her endless questions. She was like a fortune cookie. Giving me more questions than answers.

"No, of course not," I muttered. "But I like having the ability to graduate."

"Why do you feel the need to graduate?"

I frowned. "You're kidding right? I hope you are, Deirdre."

"Why do you think that?"

"Look, Lissa is depending on me to be there for her. We need to graduate together so we can be assigned together."

"Why do you feel that is so important, graduating together. You could very well wait a year and not have to be so pressured. Lissa wouldn't mind, I'm sure."

I bit my tongue. I wondered if Deirdre had been told about my spirit bond with Lissa. If she wasn't informed, I was pretty sure I wasn't allowed to tell her. And I'm completely sure she didn't know about my secret plan-in-the-making to break Victor Dashkov out of jail.

"Because we're best friends," I explained firmly. It wasn't a lie, so I didn't feel guilty about saying it.

Deirdre scribbled something down on the notebook.

"Let's talk about your trip to Russia," Deirdre said finally.

My eyebrows formed a line. She was more informed than I thought. "Let's not."

"Why do you not want to talk about it?"

"I just don't like talking about it, okay?"

Deirdre looked at me with a serene smile. She wrote something quickly down into her notes, but didn't look at what she wrote.

She opened her lips and said the words I had been dreading to hear from her from the moment I sat down in her office.

"Is it because of your relationship with Guardian Belikov?"

--

I buried my face in my pillow, forcing myself to get to sleep. It wasn't hard. I was bushed—from all my classes, to Adrian, to my almost-lesson with Eddie. And then Deirdre. I was so thankful that I didn't need to go back.

"_No. It is not about him. And I'd like not to talk about him again." _

I grimaced, thinking about my response. I sounded like a bitch. I knew that. But she'd crossed the line. Then again, nothing I could say would change that patronizing serenity on her perfectly calm face.

I felt the weariness begin to wrap around my limbs. I embraced it. The darkness caved in around me, bringing me a beautiful peace. But I knew what was coming next.

I'd dreamt the same thing over and over again, ever since I returned from Russia.

The same thing; I'd come to expect it.

I had dreams about Dimitri Belikov.

**[[A/N: Did you enjoy reading this? PRESS THE GREEN BUTTON BELOW! I LOVE YOU IF YOU DO!]]**


	2. Two Messages

**[[A/N: Thanks for the feedback, to those who actually commented! To those who didn't, PLEASE! I really would like to have some feedback on this—as it's my first story from the POV of a rather abrasive, teen girl, I'd like to get a sense of how I'm doing]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Disclaimer stuff. Too lazy to type it out]]**

**--**

_Recap:_

_I'd dreamt the same thing over and over again, ever since I returned from Russia._

_The same thing; I'd come to expect it._

_I had dreams about Dimitri Belikov._

--

The dreams weren't uniform. In fact, every time I fell asleep, I was transported to a different world.

I guess this time it was the World of Mirrors.

The world was dark. I couldn't see where the horizon was. All I could see were the mirrors.

They hung on thin, white wires from an invisible ceiling. A distant light caught on the outline, creating a shining glint to the thread. Attached to each of them was a shard of glass. They were reflective, showering me in scattered light.

I smiled, reaching out to touch one.

"Ouch," I hissed, as the sharp glass sliced into my finger. I recoiled, sucking hard on my finger to get the blood.

That's when everything turned wrong.

The surface of the mirror seemed to ripple. It was still that metallic silver color—but something was beginning to etch itself into the surface, like someone was drawing a nail across it.

I gasped, seeing the familiar geometric pattern of my stake line the surface. The pattern shined bright, too bright. There was a faint red glow around the shapes. I wanted everything to stop. I wanted it to stop.

Then I heard a voice. A voice so familiar, I wanted to scream.

"Soon, Roza. Until then," the voice murmured into my ear. It sounded so close.

"Dimitri," I cried.

But the dream had ended, but I didn't wake up like usual. I groaned, as the mirrors began to dissipate into the familiar beach scene—that meant only one thing. Adrian.

"What do you want?" I asked, my voice cracking. The previous dream was not one of the better, and it definitely put me in a foul mood.

Adrian smiled. He seemed relaxed, lying down in the warm sand. I had to admit, the way the light caught his sculpted chin made him look handsome.

"Can't I enjoy your company? I swear I won't go off into a rambling simile," Adrian said, giving me a calm grin.

I snorted, fingering the _nazar_ that hung on a leather string around my neck. The bluish color stood out against my orange bikini. I frowned. Instead of my blue jeans, I was wearing a green sarong over my bikini bottom.

"Getting a little kinky, Adrian?" I asked snidely.

"You look beautiful in orange," he remarked, flashing his vampire fangs. "How about wearing it tomorrow?"

I laughed. "You know tomorrow is the first prep day for the Breaker."

Adrian's positive energy seemed to buoy off my own. I sat down next him, but was totally careful not to be too close.

"Oh yes, I remember the Breaker from when I attended school. How is it that the only color of workout clothes that Dhampir have is gray?" Adrian mused. He leaned in towards me, giving me a long stare with his green eyes. I grabbed his face in my hands and gave him a firm push away.

"Mind your manners, Adrian," I warned, half teasing, half serious.

Adrian's radiant grin faded. He sighed, looking out into the fake waves. Pity that they were fake; I seriously doubted if there were any waves that beautiful aqua color, taking into account pollution and little babies peeing in the water and stuff.

"Rose, I really hope that when I finish this essay, you'll give me a real chance. Not some pity date for the clingy Moroi, but a date with someone you will consider as a real possibility," Adrian said.

I let my neck fall lose. My head fell back against my back, tickling my back with a shower of dark curls. If only life was this calm.

"I will," I promised. But I was pretty sure that I couldn't. I mean the latter part. I would go out on a date with Adrian. Most definitely. But the matter of truly considering him was still a gray area.

"You won't." _Damn. When did Adrian get so perceptive?_ "I know from your dream that you still have attachments to Dimitri."

I stiffened. I glared at Adrian. "So what? Spirit lets you be a peeping tom now?" I demanded. "You saw my dream?"

Adrian looked at me sadly. "No, but I saw your face when you arrived here. I know that face well."

I groaned, feeling an annoying pang of guilt. I didn't believe in karma, but I did believe in guilt trips. And Adrian was trying to pull a fast one on me. I didn't know why though.

"What do you want? Me to tell you about my dream?" I growled, rubbing my temples.

"I just want you to move on," he reasoned. I supposed that was pretty fair of him to ask, considering he was probably one hundred pages into his "Why I Love Rose Hathaway" novel. But he didn't know one key thing that was keeping me from moving on. And it was pretty crucial. My living undead teacher that I supposedly killed? He was still alive!

But I couldn't tell him that. I couldn't tell anyone! Hell! I hadn't even told Lissa about our post-graduation plans. She was still bookmarking the Lehigh University student page. Having already gotten her approval from the Queen Bitch and from Christian, she was pretty ecstatic about her attendance.

I wondered how my plans would ruin hers…again.

The world around me began to shake.

"Looks like time is up," I surmised, feigning disappointment.

"Good luck tomorrow, little dhampir," Adrian said.

--

"I'm glad that the stress hasn't affected you," Lissa pointed out, watching me gobble down a plate of French toast.

I glanced up at her, and then I continued to scarf down the remaining bits of breakfast. "I've faced worse," I mumbled, trying to swallow.

"You sure haven't looked worse," Christian said frankly, squeezing Lissa hand. Their interlocked fingers were glued together on top of the table. I'm glad that the spat they had a month ago had cooled over, but that meant in between my Dimitri dreams, Adrian's stalker dreams, and just plain sleep, I had to deal with their renewed sexual rendezvous.

"Coming from the guy who looks like he hasn't touched a comb in his entire life," I retorted. "Besides, I look way better than the novice novices." I jerked my finger over towards a table by the wall. A group of students in my class were hunched together, staring dumbly at bowls of mushed cereal. They may've been my age, but they certainly were greenhorns when it came to kicking ass.

"Hey, in a week, you may have to depend on some of their assistance," Lissa reminded me.

"About that," I began.

Lissa caught on to what I was trying to say, but she gave me a piercing look that said "Not while Christian is here."

I sighed and nodded, brushing a fussy strand of hair out of my eyes. Finishing off the maple syrup from the bottom of my plate, I got up to put it away. To my surprise, Lissa got up with me.

"I'll be back," I said quickly, not wanting to break her oh-so-precious moments with Christian.

"I'm heading off to the feeders," Lissa said.

I glanced at Christian. He shrugged, pulling out his own stack of papers from his book bag. I forgot all about the Moroi finals. I had sort of pushed them aside because of my own worrisome problems.

After dropping off my plate in the cleaning bin, Lissa took me over to the feeders. They had totally redone this section of the cafeteria after the Strigoi attack. It didn't appear different, but if you looked carefully enough, you could see all the security features they placed.

Magical barriers now coated the windows and walls in near invisible spell markings. Security cameras lined the ceiling, constantly darting back and forth between feeder stations. They even had the place partially "sacred-ified" with holy water and God's presence or something by Father Andrew every week.

Lissa led me to Alice's stall. I stifled my displeasure. It wasn't that Lissa's favoring of Christian's "personal" feeder bothered me, but the old woman's uncanny knack at hitting me on my weak point—a lot like Adrian and his sober poems.

There she was, sitting there on a thin metal stool. She looked ten times older than she did when I'd last seen her, which was a while ago. I didn't like accompanying Lissa to her feedings. It reminded me too much of my own blood whore addictions.

The old woman smiled upon seeing Lissa, but her glazed eyes flickered towards me, and I felt a sudden sense of awareness within the old hag.

"Lissa, Rose," she spoke, her words slurred. Her neck was still a bit bloody. Despite the other Morois' disrespect for her, they all had to take turns.

"Hi, Alice," I said uneasily, watching Lissa bend down and sink her fangs into Alice's neck.

I grimaced, hearing the slurping noise of Alice's blood being sapped from her neck. The old woman's eyes went unfocused. Her wrinkled lips curled into a dizzy smile backed by the endorphin rush of a vampire feeding. I gulped, feeling a ghostly reminder of Russia coming back to me.

Lissa finished sooner than I expected. I guessed that she also knew about Alice's unstable physical condition and didn't want to overdo it.

We turned to leave, but I felt Alice's eyes bore into my back. I looked back at her and was shocked to see her standing up.

"Alice, sit down," I said quickly, hurrying to help the old feeder sit back down.

But the old woman grabbed my wrist hard. It didn't exactly hurt, seeing that I was battered already from practice with Eddie. But I was definitely surprised; I didn't think Alice had that strength in her.

She gazed into my eyes with unflinching resolve. She leaned in towards my ear.

"Dreams are one of a kind," she hissed. "Don't forget them."

With that, she let go and sank back into her seat, looking like the loony old lady I knew her to be.

"Rose? Coming?" Lissa asked.

I nodded, giving Alice one last stare. I was dumbstruck. How did she know about my dreams? And what did she mean, "Don't forget them"?

We both walked back to the table in silence. Through the bond, I could tell Lissa was trying to analyze my unusually quiet behavior.

"How is Alice feeling?" Christian asked, his face an inch from a thick block of papers—covered in size 10 font.

"Seemed fine," I said. I stared at him, my mind filled with comebacks. I bit my lip, but it was too hard to hold one in. "I wish I had a camera. I'm seeing the wild animal outside its natural environment."

Christian laughed tiredly. "I'd respond, but I have a rough draft to turn in next period."

I punched his shoulder jokingly, sliding across the table to the opposite chair. I sat down, putting my chin on my hands.

Alice told me to remember my dreams. I'd love to know how she even knew about them. I didn't even tell Lissa.

"Rosemarie Hathaway!"

I groaned. I gave Lissa and Christian a look. "Seems like I'm in high demand these days."

"Go on," Lissa urged.

I rolled my eyes and stood up. It was the same woman from the day before. The tall Moroi woman beckoned me over from the doorway of the cafeteria, looking like a plastic Barbie in her yellow dress and white stilettos.

I got up and walked over. "We have to stop meeting like this," I said.

The woman gave me an imperious look, but kept her mouth shut. _Smart woman. Avoid all verbal confrontations with Rose Hathaway. I can hold my own._

I shuffled after her, feeling her cold demeanor ice my attempts to talk to her.

We didn't go to administrative building. Which was odd.

"Where are we going?" I asked tentatively, as we walked towards the back half of the school.

The woman kept walking. Her pace was fairly quick for a Moroi, even more impressive considering her seven-inch high heels.

I found myself following her outside through a hidden doorway. That was pretty weird. It was something that freshman used to get outside. Guardians watched the door during the daytime when students were at risk, but not during class.

We walked outside, about a hundred feet into the forest. But not just anywhere—the one place where the Guardian watches couldn't see. It wasn't a very large space. Just outside the iron gates and behind a large pile of rocks that created a large circle about thirty feet in diameter. It was a common place to hold dhampir parties, when all the Moroi were asleep and the dhampir guards circled closer to the buildings than the perimeter.

"What are we doing here?" I demanded, backing away from the woman. My eyes narrowed.

"I have a message for you," the woman said. She turned around and gave me a piercing glare.

"A message?" I repeated. "From who?"

The woman shook her head.

I tensed.

And that's when she attacked.

I was unprepared, but she was still a Moroi. She leapt at me, aiming to push me to the ground. Caught off guard, I managed to brace myself.

For someone who looked like she hadn't fed in a few weeks, she sure was heavy.

I grunted under her weight as I nearly toppled backwards. I twisted my shoulder into her chin and kicked her with my opposite foot—right into her side.

She stifled a groan, releasing me and backing up into the large boulders that surrounded us.

"Who are you? Who sent you?" I yelled. My eyes darted back and forth. I didn't see any large branches that I could use to fight, and the boulders were too large to move.

"Who do you think?" the Moroi woman hissed. She hunched over, rubbing her side gently. "The one you've been waiting for."

I didn't want to hear anymore. I launched myself at her, landing a strong punch into her face.

The woman wasn't totally incapable though—she managed to grab waist and thus my center of gravity, pulling me down under her.

"He wants you to know something, Rose," the Moroi woman panted, her face bloody and bruised.

"What? What could Dimitri want?" I asked, trying to wriggle into a position where I could kick her off.

"He wants to talk to you," she rasped. "Where it all started and ended. Tomorrow night."

I grunted, kicking my foot into her stomach. She screamed, tumbling off me.

I scrambled to my feet, but all I saw was the woman flying in the opposite direction of the school's border, her stilettos abandoned at the base of the boulder walls.

"Damn," I swore. "That bitch." My body wasn't injured though. I had a feeling that she was only trying to make me unable to fight—not injured.

I crawled back over the rocks and started walking back to the entrance. My mind was buzzing with adrenaline. It was getting hard to process. What did she mean by "where it started and ended." And tomorrow of all days! Wednesday was the day before Breaker! I was already stressed enough and now I had to deal with this.

I passed through the hidden door no problem. But it was a passing period, so I found myself heading off to the gym. Those taking the Breaker were getting a briefing today and the rest of the day off to train.

I found myself among a large mob of my classmates all trying to get into the gym at the same time, comically filling into the bottleneck of the gym door. Fold up chairs had been set up in the center of floor.

Eddie waved me over…from the first row. I smiled, but gave myself a mental facepalm. But then again, I supposed my mother would be proud to hear about my newfound attentiveness. She had a habit of checking up on me a lot since I had returned from Russia

"Feeling nervous?" Eddie whispered, as we all settled into our seats.

I nodded my head. But my gently shaking hands were not because of the Breaker, but because I'd just received two mysterious messages in the last past hour.

And they all told me one thing: I had a lot on my plate.

**[[A/N: I had a lot to write this time. Hope you liked this chapter! Don't forget to press the green button and review!]]**


	3. Approaching Time

**[[A/N: Hey guys! It's finals week at my school. I bet it's about that time for you guys as well. Well that means I probably won't be getting up a new story in a while, so this is going to be my last update for…the better part of December.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Dun! Dun! Dun! Suspense in the last chapter! Let's see where this all goes. Oh right! I read the first chapter of Spirit Bound that came out! Intense!!! Dimitri sending notes is so romantic but somehow stalkerish.]]**

**[[Disclaimer: ___(you know what goes here)___]]**

**--**

"Today is the informational session," Alberta said into the microphone. She and the other dhampir teachers were standing on a wooden platform that had been placed in front of us. "After the end of this meeting, you will get a packet detailing what I've said here. Please listen attentively because this will aid you in the Breaker."

I took deep breaths, trying to focus on Alberta's voice. Somehow the annoying, naggish tone kept me from breaking out from my seat. My heart raced along with my brain.

_What did she mean? Where it all started and ended? _I wondered frustratedly.

"You will start off at the back entrance of the Academy," Alberta said. I already knew that.

_I meet him where it started…and ended. _I leaned back in my chair, putting my feet up on the seat back of the person in front of me. _Well I'm assuming that she meant where it started and ended for Dimitri and me._

"You will each be assigned a partner and a dummy." I sighed. All of this was the same as the year before and the year before that.

_Alright. Well lets rationalize this, Rose._ I groaned. When did I ever rationalize anything? But it wasn't the time to be pondering my sudden change in personality.

_I can narrow down the locations to St. Vlad's presumably_. I seriously hated the way I was thinking. It was like Lissa was thinking for me. Speaking of which, I reminded myself mentally to tell her about the meeting. I hadn't had a chance yet because I was rushed off to the Breaker meeting.

_Alright. Where did thing start? His bedroom? That night of Victor's lust charm. It started, but ended…_I felt my face burn. _That probably wasn't it. _

"Getting nervous?" Eddie whispered teasingly.

I shook my head, playfully nudging him in his side.

_He wouldn't do that…_I reasoned. _He wouldn't be able to make it that far into the Academy._

"You are to protect yourself, your dummy_, and your partner_," Alberta clarified, answering someone's question. "Failure of the latter will be a penalty. If your partner dies too many times, you will be failed."

_What are some other locations important to Dimitri and me? _I thought angrily. _Seriously! Could he have been more vague? _

"You can find shelter in anything on the trail, as long as you make it to the finish line on time. It can even be a human hunting cabin, although be careful—"

I gasped. _The cabin! _I felt dizzy. _Why did it have to be the cabin_? Although for rationality's sake, it was a pretty good location to have a secret rendezvous. It was out of the way, close to the barrier, and we both knew the exact spot it was located. I mean, it was start of our real relationship—where I had given myself to him. But it was also the end of our time together.

"That concludes the end of this meeting. Please spend the rest of your time today wisely," Alberta said.

I got up automatically, following the lead of my classmates. I wasn't really thinking about anything anymore.

"Hey Rose," Eddie shouted. He grabbed my arm, yanking me out of the path of the wall. "I hope you show a little more alertness on the exam. You're putting my tutoring to shame."

I shook my head, trying to get some sense back into me. "Don't worry Eddie. I've got the Breaker in the bag," I said boldly.

Eddie laughed tiredly. "So some of us are getting together after dinner for a prep group. Care to join us?" he asked.

I felt a pang of guilt. It wasn't hard to hear the hope in his voice. Unfortunately, I knew that if I participated in anything like a study group, I'd just be wasting there time. I needed to talk to someone. More specifically, I needed to talk to Lissa.

"Sorry Eddie. I promised Lissa that I'd hang out with her tonight," I apologized.

Eddie's cheery face faltered to disappointment for a second, but he quickly masked it. "Oh, well later then. We still have our practice tomorrow, alright?"

I nodded quickly, waving goodbye. I left Eddie at the doorway of the gym, trying to shake the feeling of emptiness.

_I can't believe this…off all things I have to go back to that cabin_. I didn't want to. That was pretty obvious to anyone. I knew it would hurt like hell. And I was pretty sure that I was in no shape to go up against a badass Strigoi who knew all of my moves. Even the few tricks I'd learned from Eddie would be little help.

I made my way through the main hallway towards Lissa's room. I hoped she would be there—it was her free period today. I was in no mood to trace her through our link.

"Damn," I muttered, seeing Adrian standing very conspicuously in the middle of the hallway.

"Rose, I've finished it!" he said eagerly, waving a thick pack of papers in his right hand.

I stopped in my tracks. "You actually finished it?" I asked incredulously. I groaned. "It isn't the best time right now, Adrian. I have the Breaker in 2 days!"

"And hopefully with all this free time, you can look at my application. It's actually a pretty light read," Adrian confessed. "And maybe have an answer by graduation?"

I shifted my weight to one hip. I held out my hand, trying to feign impatience. But inside, the guilt over declining Eddie's over-eager invitation was fading away under Adrian's flattery. Although it did bug me that I'd become so accustomed to his persistence.

Adrian kissed the packet one last time and handed it over. "I'm sure you'll find its contents well thought up."

I snorted. "Yah, just don't get your hopes up," I reminded him. I clutched the packet and began to walk by him, but he caught my arm. Déjà vu, much?

"You okay, Rose?" Adrian asked. His green eyes were soft.

I stiffened. "Yah, of course. What do you mean?"

"Your aura is…different today."

"As in darker?"

"No, it's actually lighter. And quite pink."

I frowned. "Sorry, but I'm not up to speed in Spirit lingo. What does a pink aura mean?"

He leaned in close to my face, making me shiver. Our faces were about an inch from each other's now. I could smell the overwhelming scent of smoke and cologne. I felt my heartbeat pick up…oh shit. I tried to breath deeply to slow it down, but it wouldn't listen. _Why am I getting all worked up over Adrian?_ I thought frustratedly.

"What do you think it is?" he asked vaguely, a hint of a smile on his lips. Stupid Moroi hearing.

_Typical. He's not even sober and he's sputtering gibberish. _"Love?" I asked.

Adrian nodded. "I noticed it when you got closer," he mused. "Do you have a crush, little dhampir?"

I snickered. "Crush? I think not."

Adrian's mouth tightened, but he let it go. "Just tell me if and when you get one. It'll save me the embarrassment," he murmured. He let go of my arm and gave me one last parting look before walking past me.

"Love?" I whispered. "But with Adrian?" _No. Impossible. _I hated myself for even thinking that.

--

"Cheers!" Lissa said excitedly, clinking her champagne glass to mine. Okay well it wasn't champagne. She had been surprisingly adamant at maintaining my health before the Breaker.

"Cheers," I agreed, taking a swig of my sparkling cider. The sharp, sour taste exploded across my taste buds. I winced, as the pungent flavor melded softly into apple juice. I sniffed. "Is this stuff spiked?"

Lissa's eyebrows raised. "Maybe. I got it from Christian, but I told him specifically to get something non-alcoholic."

I took another sip and felt a buzz erupt in my stomach. "Yah. Definitely spiked."

Lissa sighed. "Christian is an idiot. Okay, so it's a no to the cider. But we can still talk." She took my glass along with hers and poured the contents into her trashcan.

I smiled, settling myself on her very large, puffy bed. "Of course we can. So what do you want to talk about?"

Lissa' face suddenly hardened. "It's almost graduation, right?"

I nodded.

"You said to me a couple months ago…that there would be something you needed to do after graduation."

"Oh," I said. I fiddled with my pajama pant's strings. "You want to know what I'm planning."

"Yes, I do!" Lissa exclaimed. She leaned in, giving me a hard glare.

"Well," I said slowly. I had to choose my words carefully. I hadn't even told her about Dimitri yet, let alone the information I knew Victor had. "It's kind of…illegal."

I could see Lissa's face change from eagerness to shock to fear. "Illegal," she breathed. "How illegal?"

"On a scale from one to ten, it would be a hundred," I said honestly. Why hold back the truth? I only had a couple of days left here, even if I didn't pass the test.

"And what are the details of said illegal activity?" she squeaked.

I'd been trying to imagine this conversation for a very long time. Anyway I put it, the outcome wasn't pretty.

"We have to…retrieve a certain person from a certain undisclosed location," I said edgily.

"Okay, who is this person?"

I groaned. "You won't like what I'm about to say."

Lissa shook her head. "I don't care. I promised I'd come with you. I won't back down now."

I smiled. "Thanks Lissa." I paused. "Okay, well we have to go rescue Victor Daskov." That came out in one long string of words.

"Him?" Lissa repeated, not even saying his name. "We're breaking _him_ out of jail?"

"Yah, I need something he has," I said.

Lissa's face was torn with pain. No doubt she was remembering the time he tortured her. I felt the urge to hug her, but I kept it bottled in. If she was going to come, she needed to handle this on her own.

"Why?" she demanded, her green eyes afire with frustration. "Why are we going to break Victor out of jail?" She used the word 'we'. That was a good sign.

I breathed calmly. "We need him to tell us the location of his brother," I explained.

"And we need his brother _why?_" Lissa asked brusquely. Her anger was getting the better of her.

"His brother…can help me bring back Dimitri." Finally saying it definitely made my chest feel lighter, but now I had to worry about Lissa's reaction.

"Dimitri? But I thought you killed him."

"He isn't." I gritted my teeth. "I didn't hit his heart."

Lissa gasped. And to my surprise, gave me a warm hug. "I'm so sorry," she whispered.

When she finally let go, confusion flecked her features. "So what do you mean 'bring back'?"

"I mean that he can bring Dimitri back to life. Un-Strigoi him," I said.

"That's not possible!"

"I have to try though."

Lissa stood up. She began to pace back and forth across her room, the faint reddish glow of the sunrise making her blonde hair light up with pink streaks.

"Alright," she said finally.

"Aright what?"

She turned and looked me straight in the eye. "Alright, I'm in."

I laughed, leaping off the bed and giving her a hug. "Alright, we'll leave immediately after graduation." I took a step back and smiled. "But you have to clean up all your loose ends."

"What do you mean?"

I grinned mischievously. "I mean, the Queen Bitch."

--

**[[A/N: ENJOY THIS CHAPTER! Next chapter will have a lot of action, so be prepared for the Dimitri meeting and possibly the first part of the Breaker!!! Maybe I'll get it up around Christmas!]]**


	4. Impossible

**[[A/N: Happy Holidays you guys! I hope you guys are enjoying your break! I sure am. I got a lot of pretty chill presents. Oh yah. Who else got a Snuggie? :D. THANKS MOM (although she doesn't even know I write Fanfiction]] **

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Enjoy this chapter! I've written it in parts…quite sporadically unfortunately, so the flow might not be perfect. But I hope you like it! Remember to keep reading and reviewing!]]**

--

I woke up that morning quite sore. I honestly had no idea why. The mattress I'd spent the night on was quite plush. The sunlight glinted through the shaded window, hitting my face. I groaned. It was time to wake up. I slipped into a Missoula sweatshirt and slippers, trying to move as stealthily as possible. Lissa snored softly on the bed.

_God, I wish I could sleep more…_

Walking down to breakfast, I noticed the odd silence in the halls that made my soft slippers seem like high heels on the marble floor. I guessed it was because the dhampir novices were being put on a normal daytime schedule for the Breaker. All the Moroi were still in bed. I yawned tiredly, desperately envying Lissa who was curled up back in her room.

Several of my classmates were chattering nervously by the staircase. If I wasn't so sleepy, I'd think it was comical. Their faces were cartoonishly green. Was it even possible that Eddie and I were the only novices that weren't puking into their breakfast? And we still had a day left.

But I wasn't worried about that. I could pass the Breaker with ease. I was more preoccupied with the fact that my Strigoi mentor was possibly right outside the gates of St. Vlad's with an army of his own handpicked badass Strigoi, itching to get a nighttime munch.

I felt myself walking drowsily into the cafeteria and into the line of half-asleep dhampir.

After I grabbed my cereal, I spotted Eddie and Adrian sitting at a table, already halfway through their breakfast.

I shuffled over to them and plopped down onto the bench.

"Still in dreamland, little dhampir?" Adrian asked teasingly.

I shot him a glare. "Why the hell are you even up? Just to make me miserable?"

Eddie snorted. "He was actually already eating when I got here. And I was one of the first up."

My lips tightened into a thin line. "You actually are awake in the daylight. Honestly…"

Adrian smiled, his face lighting up handsomely. "I'd just like to show you that I'm here for you, even in your ugliest hour."

I ignored the implied joke, shoveling Cheerios into my mouth with full force.

"Slow down, Rose. You're going to choke," Eddie warned.

I swallowed deeply. My bowl was already empty. Strangely, after eating, my body was buzzing with alertness. Like my mind was on fire. _Dimitri. Dimitri. Dimitri._ His name repeated itself over an over in my head.

"Rose? You okay?" Eddie asked.

I suddenly felt sick. I pushed my breakfast away from me, jumping up from my seat. "I just need some time to think," I murmured. "See you guys later, okay."

I could feel Adrian and Eddie staring at me as I fled the cafeteria. I wanted to jump off a cliff. Not literally, but just figuratively. I was getting tired of all these obligations and secrets! My stomach twisted. I stopped where I stood, leaning against the cold, stone wall that led back to the dorms.

_Rose, you should rest. It isn't smart for you to push yourself so hard before the Breaker._

I smiled. Dimitri's voice sounded so beautiful, even though it was just in my head.

"I would, comrade, but this is all for _you_. I made a promise," I whispered, starting to walk again. I needed to finish packing for the Breaker.

_Don't try to stop me, Roza. Just live your life they way you want._

"I wish I could," I said bitterly, rounding the corner to my dorm room. I dug through my sweatpants' pockets for my key. "But you won't let me live. As soon as I graduate, I'll have hundreds of Strigoi after me, including you."

I plugged the bronze key into the doorknob. It clicked firmly, swinging the door open. I stepped into my room, feeling a sudden chill. I groaned. My window was open. First, nearly barfing at breakfast. Second, forgetting to shut my window before leaving for Lissa's room the night before so my room was cold and gross. My day seemed to get even worse.

I slipped into my room and shut the door behind me. The cold air wasn't uncomfortable, but I went over to my dresser and threw on another jacket.

My stomach twisted. Who knew I would be getting butterflies considering all I've been through.

A glint caught my eye. The sunlight from the window reflected off a picture frame. It was simple, wooden, 8 by 10.

Me. And Dimitri. I'd taken it on one of our practices.

"_Smile, Dimitri," I said, focusing the lens of the digital camera onto Dimitri's face. _

_He didn't. "What are you doing, Rose?"_

"_Taking a picture. Christian gave this to Lissa for their whatever-number-week anniversary." I snorted incredulously, although frankly it was pretty cute. "But she said I could borrow it for the day."_

_Dimitri didn't react. _

"_Come on, comrade. Just one smile," I begged, looking into his dark eyes. _

_He blinked. "Fine. Just one."_

_I grinned. Flipping the camera over, I leaned into his chest, trying to stand on my tiptoes so his head was closer to mine. "Smile, Dimitri," I repeated sternly. _

"_Just do it," he said tiredly. _

_I laughed. "You'll thank me later. Pictures last forever." I pressed my finger on the trigger halfway. The lens whirred, auto-focusing. _

"_One, two, three." I said. Click. I stepped away, checking the picture. It was cute. We actually looked like a couple, aside from the gym and practice dummy background. I looked up at Dimitri. "That wasn't so hard, was it? And spare me the cliché answer."_

_Dimitri chuckled. "Rose, it's time for practice."_

I sighed, placing the picture back.

"It wasn't hard, actually. I loved it."

I spun around, immediately tensing into a defensive position.

Against the wall, standing there, was him. Not like my dreams. The ones that taunted me every time I closed my eyes. It wasn't an illusion. It was real.

"God," I whispered. "It's you."

Dimitri smiled. He remained in the shadow of the doorway, but I could see his red eyes staring at me.

"Roza," Dimitri said. "You hesitated again. I could've killed you."

I shook my head. _This can't be happening. It's too soon. Too soon. _"You can't be here! It's still daytime."

"Something came up, so I've decided to visit you earlier," Dimitri explained, waving his hand around nonchalantly.

"But you can't be out in the sun," I insisted. I glanced to my pillow; the pillowcase was where I stashed my silver stake.

"It's not there," Dimitri said lowly. "But I'll give it back to you after we talk."

"Give it to me." I growled.

Dimitri laughed coldly, his voice rattling my core. It was so harsh and distant.

"It's a beautiful weapon," he ranted. "I remember the Guardian who had this. A rather arrogant woman in Moscow. I'd just arrived in Russia and was eager to try out my body in its awakened state. Despite her attitude, I respected her. I observed her in fights for several days before making my move. She had talent. I even considered turning her. She reminded me of you, Roza."

"But you didn't save her, did you?" I asked shakily. "You killed her. And then took her weapon."

"She loved that stake," Dimitri continued. "I remember her face as she died from blood loss. Pure misery." He chuckled.

I gritted my teeth together. I took a step forward.

"No, no, Roza. Don't move any further," Dimitri chided. "I might not be able to control myself. Just standing so close to you is almost too much temptation."

I shook my head as repressed memories came back. Namely, the weeks I spent in Dimitri's custody…his personal blood whore.

Dimitri's voice came to me again. It was suddenly soft, just like what he used to sound like. "Roza, I love you."

I stared into my mentor's eyes. I couldn't believe that I was hearing this. Finally, I got to hear the words that I'd imagined over and over in my head. Honestly, I felt starved of love. Adrian showed me plenty of it, be it wanted or unwanted. I'd wanted Dimitri to say "I love you" back in Russia. I thought that hearing it would make me happy.

It just made me feel bitter and alone.

"Do you mean that?" I asked weakly. I really wanted him to mean it.

"Yes, of course."

The words sounded hollow.

"You have the Breaker tomorrow. You want to graduate, don't you?" he asked suddenly.

I nodded. My body felt hot under my layers of jackets. I was sure my face was red. For so long, I'd dreamt about how I'd handle this situation. But it wasn't going at all had I'd planned.

"I'd always assumed that you would kill me on sight," I observed, moving safely into the strong sunlight of my window. "But here you just stand in front of me. What do you want, Dimitri?"

"Rest assured, I'll kill you, Roza," Dimitri affirmed, moving to the edge of the shadows. I could see him clearly now. He looked just as beautiful as the day I'd stabbed him on the bridge, albeit a little more intimidating. I could feel his killing intent underneath that façade of calm, especially now that I wasn't doped from feedings. "I just wanted to wish you good luck for tomorrow."

"Your message is received," I retorted. "So now what? You're just going to stand there?" I shook my head angrily. "It's still daylight outside, Dimitri! How do you plan on leaving?"

Dimitri's fangs flashed in the darkness of the doorway. "You'll like this, Rose. You always loved people who broke the rules."

I looked down. "You broke the rules for me."

"Do you still love me? You said you would always love me," Dimitri reminded me.

"Of course I do," I exclaimed. "I love you, Dimitri."

"But you won't become immortal to be with me," he finished.

I shook my head.

"Then we'll meet again," Dimitri surmised. "But as enemies."

"Dimitri, please," I pleaded. "I can help you. I can save you." I wanted to hold him so badly that my body ached.

"Roza," Dimitri started.

He took a step into the sunlight. I gasped and flinched at the same time. Dimitri stood there, in all his pale Strigoi-ness, less than a foot from me. Was my world flipped? Well hell yes.

He reached his hand out towards my face. I nearly threw myself into his outstretched arm. _Focus, Rose. Focus. _I leaned away quickly, catching his wrist in my hand. His skin was icy under my palm. I dropped low and twisted under his arm so I was on his outside and out of direct striking range. My hands still grasped onto his wrist, but they were shaking. My heart was pounding with adrenaline and possibly something else.

"I don't remember teaching you evasion techniques," Dimitri mused, studying me. His white skin looked so unnatural in the daylight. "You always wanted me to tutor you in combat."

"I've changed," I reminded him. "For you."

Dimitri smiled softly, making my heart pound faster. If you took away his red eyeballs and his shiny white skin and his evil laugh (which definitely had to go), I could almost believe it was my Dimitri, the dhampir.

"Who's been training you?" he asked. "Eddie?"

"Stop asking questions and start answering some," I demanded. "How in fucking hell can you stand there?"

Dimitri laughed his really, really gratingly annoying laugh. "I've found my ways to limit my disabilities." He glanced towards the open window. "My ride is here. This is where we part, Roza."

My grip on his wrist tightened. "I won't let you escape. This isn't some crappy James Bond movie where you escape through some frickin helicopter."

Dimitri gently pulled his wrist out of my hand. Well, I suppose he thought it was gentle. My fingers felt like they'd been broken in multiple places.

"By the way, your stake is still in your pillow," he whispered. "Roza." I blinked and felt his lips against my cheek. They were cold, but my flushed face made up for his lack of heat. I gasped, turning my face to his, hoping to meet his mouth with mine.

But he was already gone.

His body agilely soared out the window and into the direct sunlight. And then land gracefully two stories down. I rushed to the windowsill, only to see the edge of his cowboy duster disappear into the woods.

"What the hell," I stuttered. "Since when can he do that? It-It-It's the morning!"

My knees shook for a second before giving out. I collapsed into a heap on the ground. My chest rattled as I struggled for air.

_Dimitri, how the hell did you do that?_

--

Granted it took me a few minutes to get off the ground…okay more or less along the lines of a few hour. Who could blame me? I'd just seen my mentor. Brushed death with him

I sat on the bed, motionless, staring at my backpack for the Breaker. It was filled with all the needed stuff: first aid, water, dried food, a compass, etc.

Knock, knock. I glanced out the window. The sun was dipping low into the hills of Montana.

I got up silently and went to open the door.

"Rose, you coming for dinner? All the Moroi are having a party for the graduating dhampir." Lissa stated. She was still in her pajamas. She'd probably just woken up.

I looked towards the window. I still hadn't closed it.

"Something wrong?" Lissa was always so damn perceptive.

I shook my head. "Nothing," I said "cheerily." I exited my room, shutting the door firmly behind me. I could feel Lissa's eyes bore into my skull, but I ignored them.

"Ready?" I asked eagerly.

Lissa nodded slowly, but her face slowly warmed into a smile. "Let's go then."

**[[A/N: I know I said that the chapter might cover the first part of the Breaker, but I'm just going to end it here. Call it a "stretching" of plot. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. Read and Review, por favor!]]**


	5. I Promise

**[[A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter! Haha suspenseful. Not sure how the flow of the story will go from now on, but I hope you enjoy it. I'm sitting it debate class, not working on my case. Don't you just love procrastination?]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: This'll be a short chapter. Disclaimer blah]]**

--

I was pretty sure that Lissa knew about my nervousness. And when I dropped my spoon three times because my hands were shaking too much, everyone else realized something was up too.

"Don't tell me the famous Rose Hathaway, champion of the novices, is getting nervous about the Breaker," Christian laughed.

I snorted. "Remind me why I even sit with you again?"

"I'm Lissa boyfriend, that's why." He looked at Lissa with such pure love—I wanted to run and hide.

"C'mon Rose, tell me what's up," Lissa urged. "If you're nervous, just say so."

"I'm not!" I protested, trying to calm my wavering fingers.

I wasn't nervous. Not at all. I was just incredibly—perplexed? Not even close. I was completely mystified and also extremely frightened.

What the hell had happened to Dimitri? I'd reasoned quickly enough that his new, oddly non-Strigoi ability of day walking allowed him to sneak into my dorm rooms. He probably got some human puppet to break the barriers as well.

But if he could walk in the sun, what about other Strigoi? One of the few weaknesses that our immortal enemies had was now gone. If anyone in the higher ranks found out about it, any chance of Moroi learning to fight would disappear.

"Can we just focus on the meal? This is the last one Eddie and I get before the exam," I said quickly. "And frankly, I'd like to enjoy tonight thoroughly."

"You're right," Lissa agreed. "I wish you guys good luck. Sorry we won't be up in time to see you off. It'll be daylight by then so…"

"We understand," Eddie assured her. "Just remember to be at the finish line on the second day."

"Do you guys know who your partners are?" Lissa asked, sipping at her water.

I shrugged. "It's supposed to be impromptu. Like drawing a name from a hat or something."

"That sucks," Christian figured. Always the Captain of the Land of Obvious.

"No really," I mumbled.

"You packed then, Rose?" Eddie asked.

"Yah. All set."

"Remember those evasion techniques."

"Like I forget." No really, how could I?

My spoon hit empty bowl. And I felt extremely sleepy.

"Time for sleep?" Lissa asked.

I nodded grumpily. "Yah, unfortunately, I'll be spending tonight with Adrian."

"Haha. You know he means well. Maybe he'll have some last minute advice for you."

--

"I'm afraid Lissa thinks to much of me," Adrian apologized, sitting seductively in the plush couch of the ski lodge lounge.

"She sees the best in people," I agreed. "Sometimes she's right."

"Am I one of those exceptions?" he asked temptingly.

"Maybe. Depends on what you have to say to me tonight."

"Seems your aura is pretty dark," Adrian observed, changing the subject. "Have you been working with Lissa on healing that?"

I shook my head. It feels like she is jabbing pencil lead into my ears when she tries. I guess we aren't at that level of connection like Oksana and Mark are…"

"Well just be careful tomorrow. You don't want those emotions getting out of control," Adrian warned.

"Is that a fortune?" I asked.

"It's advice from a friend—which reminds me—"

I groaned. "Adrian, give me a while. I've been too busy to read your proposal."

"Do you even still have it?" Adrain asked suspiciously. He fiddled with a loose thread on the armrest.

"Yes!" I exclaimed. "But I've been prepping for the Breaker. Novel reading isn't exactly fitting into my agenda."

"Just remember your promise," he said. "Maybe I could take you out on a celebratory ice cream outing when you graduate?"

"Maybe." I left it at that. No promises, but I wasn't denying him.

"That's all I wanted to hear," Adrian said, giving me a genuine smile. "I'll let you sleep now."

"Thanks."

"Good luck, little dhampir."

--

**[[OMG If you have read this before, you notice a quick jump with lots of crazy characters. I accidentally deleted the transition from the dream to the bathroom. Bear with me now!]]**

I woke up to the alarm yelling at me. Two hours until I had to be outside at the finish line.

I slowly got up, stretching.I got out of bed, shuffling over to my desk. I'd placed my toiletries out beside my backpack. Grabbing them, I scurried out of my room. The hallways were fairly brisk. Why the admins decided to cut back on energy when we had a fairly swanky student body attending the school was beyond me.

I was the only one in the bathroom. No surprise there. The Moroi were asleep, the lower classmen were asleep, and my classmates were still trying to squeeze in an hour more of z's. I didn't care. I needed silence. My mind was way too cluttered for just getting up.

I got in the shower and let the hot water run over my chilled skin.

_Was that your plan, Dimitri? _I wondered. _You wanted to scare me so I'd fail? Why—_

I heard the bathroom door squeak open.

"Who's there!" I called over the rushing water.

"Guess who," a voice replied. I recognized it immediately.

"Mia!" I exclaimed happily, peeking my head out the shower curtain.

The pixie blond Moroi stood wearily in the doorway. Her eyes had dark bags underneath them.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

She smiled thinly. "My father...he, um, he decided to send me back to Montana to graduate. I just got here—it was the last flight."

"Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Yah right. But I need to wish you good luck. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't?" I smiled. It was nice that my relationship with Mia had improved. And it was definitely a plus not to have her nasty rumors spreading around school about my sex life.

Mia scuffed her foot awkwardly. "Well I'll let you finish your shower now."

"Yah," I said hesitantly. I guess we weren't at that kind of friendship yet.

I closed the curtain and heard the bathroom door squeak as Mia exited.

Ten minutes later, I felt the water temperature start to chill. Reluctantly, I turned off the shower, dried myself, and slipped on my sweatpants and long sleeve thermal (It might've been spring, but it was still Montana). I scuffled back to my dorm room as quietly as I could, trying not to wake up the Dhampir.

As I went into my dorm room, I half expected Dimitri to be there. But no, he wasn't.

My clock read 4:20 A.M. in big block numbers. I had an hour and a half left. I grabbed my pack and made a mental checklist. Compass. Map. Water bottle. Pack of food. Lighter. Flashlight. First Aid. Check!

_Knock!_

I knew who it was immediately. I walked over to the door. What other Dhampir would be up s

"Hi Edd—"

Adrian grinned. "Sorry, it's me."

I groaned. "Moroi are supposed to be nocturnal. What's with all of you being awake right now?"

"All? Who else is up?"

I gave him a sidelong glance. "Mia." I saw shock flicker over Adrian's face. "Now can you please leave? I'm trying to get ready."

Adrian glanced over my shoulder into my room. He saw my backpack sitting prepared on my desk. "Seems like you're done. With plenty of time to spare."

I snorted. "So you're my babysitter now?

"How about "Attentive Future Boyfriend?" But really, last night got me thinking—I'm here to read you my homework."

My jaw dropped. "Maybe now isn't the best time."

"Sure it is," Adrian said eagerly. He pushed past me. "Now where is it?"

I blushed. "In my closet."

"The closet?" Adrian repeated. He opened the creaking white doors to my wardrobe and fished around in the clothes. "Viola," and he pulled out a crumpled clip of papers.

"Adrian," I pleaded. "Can't you just wait?"

"And miss out on your wonderful mood this morning?" Adrian asked rhetorically. "I think not." He sat on my bed, flipping the cover open to the first page.

"How long is it?" I lean against the wall.

"It's shorter than it looks. Most of these pages are for my biography and stuff."

I choked. "Why would I need to know your biography?"

Adrian grinned. "I'm going to be your boyfriend so why not cover everything? Now shall I start?" He cleared his throat. "Chapter One. If Rosemarie Hathaway takes me, Adrian Ivashkov, as her boyfriend, I, the latter, will fulfill the following promises: I will quit smoking. I will walk her to class everyday – or in this case, accompany her around the mall when her female hormones become to overbearing to ignore."

I had to laugh at that one. Adrian winked at me and continued.

"I will take her on weekly dates to fancy restaurants where I can see her in a smoking hot evening gown. I will only "stalk" her dreams on occasional days. I will try to maintain an equilibrium of drunkenness-soberness during my time with her." Adrian paused.

"Is that all? I'm disappointed, Adrian. I'd think two months would produce more of a commitment," I commented.

"No, there is one more."

I chuckled. "Spit it out then."

Adrian looked down at the pages in front of him. "Finally, I, Adrian Ivashkov, will swear to never leave Rosemarie Hathway, for any reason."

I understood immediately what he was referring to. I understood what he meant and why he included it. I felt a twinge of guilt – I hadn't taken his offer seriously. I never had. But he had put his heart in the paper, and it made me feel truly cared for.

"Adrian…"

He stood up quickly, putting the essay on the bed. "Look over it a little more, will you?" he murmured.

I looked down at my feet, but suddenly, his fingers were lifting my chin up to his face. His lips were less than an inch away from mine. "Again, good luck." His breath washed over my face. Oddly enough, it didn't smell of alcohol or cigarettes at all.

A pain in my chest reminded me to breathe. I sucked in a mouthful of air, blushing heavily.

"Silly, little dhampir." Adrian brushed his hand along my cheek. His fingers lingered by my ear. His touch was so gentle; I instinctively leaned into his hand. _Damn. Rose, snap out of it!_ I shook my head, sidestepping out of his reach. Adrian frowned but dropped his arm to his side. He stepped back and moved towards the door, keeping his face down.

I watched him leave my room. It was different than watching Dimitri leave. For one, I wasn't having an asthma attack on the floor. Second, I felt embarrassingly giddy and ashamed.

I shuffled over to the bed and picked up the pack of papers. I flipped through the pages, seeing the black text cover about twenty pages. I glanced at my backpack. I had room. Before I would regret my decision, I put the essay into the pack.

"Time to go, Rose," I told myself. I double-checked myself in the mirror. All set.

I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Giving one last glance to the room, I walked out of the room, shutting the door firmly behind me.

I walked down the hallway towards the dorm exit. A few dhampir were beginning to straggle out.

I didn't really talk to any. They all gave me glances, which I pretended to not see. I knew what they were thinking. Oh look, there's Rose. Knocked up her teacher. Badass Guardian. Damn.

As I neared the main gate, more of my classmates joined me, all bottlenecking at the exit.

"Hey Rose!" I saw Eddie waving to me in the sunlight.

"Eddie!" I yelled. "Let's kick some ass, huh?"

**[[A/N: Sorry guys. It isn't the Breaker yet. I'm getting there! I PROMISE! Next chapter, definitely. I hope. Okay, no promises, but from where we are in the story…]]**


	6. Ready! Set! Go!

**[[A/N: Don't you agree that 3-day weekends are great! I get so much free time – mostly dedicating it to T.V., sleeping in till noon (or later :D), and recuperating from school.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: NOW! Okay I've stretched the story plenty far. I've basically postponed writing the Breaker…mostly it was unintentional.]]**

**--**

"Rosemarie Hathaway and Gregory Waters, please come up and retrieve test materials."

I knew my chances of getting Eddie as a partner were slim to none, but it was crushing.

I didn't know Gregory personally. I'd seen him around campus once and a while. He was a rather lean guy; not muscular at all. His hair (and eyes) was reddish brown. Think tomatoes squished in dirt and pureed. I remembered him as that kid who fell off the climbing rope in third grade. Basically here was what I knew of the kid:

1. He was one of the few non-European kids at school.

2. He was always dropping things. If he was just clumsy or a spazz, I wasn't sure.

3. I really didn't want to be paired up with him.

We both walked up front, emerging from the mob that had gathered in front of the start line. As I saw him stumble and trip up to the supply distribution table, I began wishing more and more that the admins hadn't instituted the partner rule this year.

"Nice to meet you, Rose," he said awkwardly, holding out a hand. I took it, smiling stiffly.

"You too," I replied.

Alberta gave us a plastic bag that had an emergency transmitter and a map of the terrain. I handed it to Gregory, taking the dummy instead. It looked pretty much like a bunch of flour sacks sewn together into the shape of a body. And filled with lead weights.

"Shit," I grumbled, heaving it over my shoulder. _It weighs like a hundred pounds!_

"Do you need help?" Gregory asked, putting the bag into his pack.

"No," I said quickly. "I'm good. Let's just get to the start line."

Every dhampir group started at different intervals of time, in order to spread us all out.

"Start your countdown watches when I say 'Go'. You have 48 hours from this point," Stan ordered as we lined up.

We both nodded.

"Ready. Set. GO!"

I clicked the start button on my wristwatch and sprinted off into the distant forest. Gregory trailed not far behind me.

"Where are we heading?" he asked me, slowing to a stop. It was ten minutes since we started, and St. Vlad's had long disappeared from sight.

"Well," I mused aloud, "We have to get towards the other side of the mountain." I motioned for him to pull out the map. As he unzipped his backpack pocket, I heaved the dummy off my shoulders, dropping it to the ground.

"There are boulders about two miles north of here. We could camp there," I pointed out, indicating a grayish area towards the peak of the mountain.

Gregory shook his head. "If we get attacked from above, there won't be any way to escape. We'd be trapped."

I was shocked. He was right. Okay, so maybe I had taken his clutzy appearance and attributed that to a weakness. Maybe he was useful.

"So where do you suggest?" I asked, scanning the map for somewhere suitable to make camp for the night.

"Oh, well, I had a feeling that we would be more safe towards the peak of the mountain," Gregory explained sheepishly.

I chuckled. "Why?"

"Well the instructors will probably expect everyone to head towards the caves, which are before the cliffs that lead to the peak. Our classmates will most likely stay there to rest before attempting the climb."

My eyebrow rose. "Braniac?" I assumed.

"Strategy just happens to be my specialty."

"How about fighting."

"Well I haven't named my fists, but I'm not terrible."

"Funny. But seriously, I'm counting on you to back me up. You're my partner today."

Gregory's cheeks reddened.

"Alright then," I said quickly, picking the dummy off the ground with a groan. I slung the thing over my shoulder, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably. "We have a long way. Let's go."

Gregory nodded, slinging his backpack over shoulder. We both began to jog off northwards. We had a good initial pace. And usually, I could run for pretty long at the speed we were going at. Unfortunately, the dummy drained my energy. After a mile of running, I was nearly out of breath. I was ashamed to see Gregory begin to pull out from his surveillance position a couple feet behind me.

"Stop, Rose," he said, unusually firm.

"What?" I gasped. "See something?"

He shook his head. "Give me the dummy, Rose."

I shook my head. Despite taking a deep gasp for air, I protested, "No. I'm good with it."

He walked up to me, taking off his backpack. "Don't be macho, Rose. It's a guy thing."

I snorted. "Look, I'm fine. At the rate we're going, we won't make it to the other side of the mountain by nightfall."

"Exactly." Gregory grabbed the dummy off my shoulders, swinging it so it wrapped around his shoulders. "Now take my backpack."

"What?"

"You want to carry your weight, then take my backpack," he repeated. "We can switch back later."

I nodded slowly. The incline was starting to get tougher, and I agreed that I'd need my stamina for the climb. I felt pretty idiotic about my stubbornness—or rather the signature Hathaway family stubbornness (which made me wonder if Abe was like this. He probably never needed to be; people probably didn't question him.)

I took his backpack and strapped it to my chest. I would need to readjust when we got to the rock climbing part of the mountain but one step at a time.

I took up the rear position this time, scanning the trees for threats. We'd been told the attacks would be focused at night, but it wasn't guaranteed. And I sure couldn't recognize our "enemies" by nausea this time.

Okay, so I started to daydream. I had a lot on my mind. Honestly, it was kind of hard not to. When you had Adrian and Dimitri swirling around in your head, it took a conscious effort to stay alert.

Something caught my eye. A dark shadow that swept through the trees at a fast pace.

I took a large breath and sped up just enough so I was within his peripheral vision.

He twitched his jaw, registering my presence. I glanced around. As far as I could see, there was only one "Strigoi" coming after us.

Gregory, being the one carrying the dummy, slowed to a stop. He whipped out his practice stake from inside his jacket. I swerved around him, dropping both of the backpacks and darting off in the direction of our teacher.

I stopped just twenty feet away from Gregory, keeping him within my eyesight. I looked around, trying to spot a flash of black among the brown and green pines.

I didn't see who tackled me, but the force knocked me into the ground. I assumed that he/she was waiting in the trees. A knee pressed into my back, keeping me pinned. I felt a pair of hands grab my neck, preparing to break it.

_This is the final test, Rose. They aren't going easy, _I reminded myself. I grunted, gripping my opponent's arms. "Hell no," I hissed, flipping him/her off my back.

I was on my feet in a second. My opponent was too. It turned out to be Guardian Sedov, a teacher of the freshman Combat Ethics class. I hadn't seen him since I took his class, but I suspected that he still had a grudge against me failing all of his tests.

"Rose!" Gregory yelled. "Are you okay?"

"One minute, Gregory," I shouted, dodging a right hook.

I ducked and aimed a kick at his gut. Sedov dodged, jumping back and minimizing the force of my attack. I smirked. Apparently, all that time babbling about sparring rules and the history of self defense made a good cover for a almost badass middle-aged man.

I always had agility and speed on my side. Landing in the small side of the gene pool did that. Now I had to rely on something else because Sedov wasn't going to let me get any extra punches in.

"_Don't wait, Rose," Dimitri instructed, landing a good whack to my shoulder. _

_I frowned, backing up. "I'm not."_

_Dimitri shook his head. "You are _waiting_. Against Strigoi, you'd be dead by now. They are as fast, if not more so, than you."_

_I shrugged. "Okay, oh wise one. Enlighten your apprentice on the correct moves."_

_Dimitri gave me a half-smile. Was it so hard to give a full one? Just once? I'd hardly ever seen him do it. _

"Outwit your opponent, Rose," I murmured, remembering his lesson. I slipped my stake into the waist of my sweats and ran forward. Sedov frowned. He hadn't expected to sheath my only weapon. I grinned, running head on towards him.

"Rose, I hope you aren't doing anything stupid!" Gregory cautioned.

_Give me a break. I've dealt with harder things before_, I thought. Sedov lunged, his hands reaching towards my neck. _Think you can get an easy "kill?" I'm much different than that stoned dropout that you knew three years ago, Sedov._

I jumped, just barely avoiding his grasp. The tree limbs above me were plenty thick, allowing me to swing my weight onto them. But I didn't stay up there for long; I leapt off, landing behind Sedov in a crouch. He spun to face me, kicking his leg out. But my hand already had taken out my practice stake. I side rolled, avoiding his foot. I pushed myself up with one hand, aiming the blunt, wooden tip to the orange circle attached to Sedov's chest.

Sedov attempted to move out of the way again, but he was still off balance from his kick. I heard a satisfactory grunt as my practice stake punched into the target.

"Score," I yelled.

"You did it?" Gregory asked, walking over, still clutching his stake tightly.

"You did well, Rose," Sedov admitted, rubbing his chest. "You used the environment very well." He turned to Gregory. "As did you, Gregory. Good protective form."

"Thanks," we both said in unison.

Sedov nodded to us and sprinted off down the mountain.

"I wish I could've seen the fight," Gregory commented. "Sedov looked pretty impressed."

"Next time," I said with a laugh. "How are you feeling?"

"Good. I'm not tired at all. Do you want to switch?" he asked.

I shook my head. "No. Let's just keep going. We can switch jobs once we get to the rock walls."

Gregory sighed. "I repeat. Macho."

"Shuttup," I muttered.

We started off in a light jog. Instead of the ladder formation, we ran side by side. Gregory let me set the pace. He was actually pretty considerate, knowing my spar hurt my stamina.

It was noon when we reached the thirty feet rock walls that lined the west peak of the mountain.

"We won't need climbing gear for this, right?" Gregory asked.

I shook my head. "No. I think if we pick our path carefully, it should be alright." I slipped off our backpacks.

I took the dummy into my arms, trying to figure out how to climb up without dropping it.

"Try tying it around your waist," Gregory suggested.

I was impressed. "You're just full of ideas, huh."

Gregory smiled. "Here, I have rope." He dug around in his backpack and pulled out a coil of rope. "Let me help."

I held the dummy to my chest as Gregory wrapped the rope around my waist. I bit my cheek awkwardly. The whole situation was slightly…weird. I forgot what it was to have someone's arms around me. His hands shook as they tied the rope into a knot.

"Good?" he asked quietly.

"Yah, good," I said quickly, looking away from his analytical gaze. "Now let's go."

We approached the wall. It was slanted just enough that we wouldn't need any ropes. "Follow my lead," I ordered.

I began to climb up the rock wall, slowly. My hands searched for firm handholds. I groaned. The dummy on my chest kept me from falling backwards, but it weighed me down.

"Rose, help!" Gregory yelled.

I looked down, seeing Gregory trapped in a precarious potion. His feet teetered on a single foothold with his hands scrambling to find something to balance on.

"Gregory," I grumbled. I pulled myself onto a steady ledge and looked down at him. "Okay, listen to me. You need to push up with your arms…like a pull up. There is a foothold a foot below your right hand. Use that."

Gregory gulped deeply. "A-A-Alright." He pulled up, grunting. My jaw dropped. His face was the epitome of calm. Even though he sounded like a complete wimp, he didn't show any signs of pressure in his forehead. He lifted his leg slowly up to be near his hand. "NOW WHAT?" he yelled.

I laughed. "Gregory, look up and give me your hand."

I could tell he was stunned that he was only about a foot below me. He lifted a hand up. I grabbed it and heaved him up onto the ledge with me.

"Thanks," he breathed, rubbing his hand through his hair.

"No problem," I replied, taking a sip of water. "That's what partners do."

Gregory blinked. "Yah. Partners."

I swung my legs back and forth. The sun told me that it was two. "We have an hour before prime time. We should get going."

"Yah."

I started first again, climbing up the last few feet to the peak.

We didn't have any trouble climbing this time. Gregory and I finally made it to the top of the mountain. To our surprise, there was no sign of any of our classmates on the flat, meadowish peak.

"I guess we're first," I noted.

Gregory grinned. "That's great. We made good time."

I nodded, lying back on the grass. The field was a soft and verdant – a signature Montana spring field.

"Does that mean you want to camp here?"

I looked at Gregory. "Not permanently, but we can take a break, right?"

He laughed. "I don't know if that's allowed. We're supposed to be "_vigilant and_ _prepared_"'.

I gave him a seductive look. "Then why don't you take watch while I catch my breath."

My partner laughed. "Has anyone told you how dangerous you can be?"

I chuckled. "Actually they have."

**[[A/N: Day 2 of the Breaker in the next chapter! REVIEWS ARE LOVED!]]**


	7. Fight Night

**[[A/N: Hi! I'm trying to get my releases out sooner. Mainly because you guys keep asking for it, and also because I have no life. No, just kidding. But I just like writing.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Still looking for a beta reader…Send me a message!]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: Disclaimer stuff. You get the drill]]**

--

The caves weren't homey. Neither of us pretended they were. Situated between a sharp inclined hill and the edge of the forest, about a ten-minute jog away from the meadow peak, the small, 8 by 12 foot cave could barely fit both of us and our dummy.

"No fire, huh?" Gregory guessed.

I shook my head. "I have blankets if you want one."

"Nah, I'm taking first watch. Can't have a blanket around me."

I agreed. I was guessing that it wouldn't be long before we had another surprise attack, but it didn't stop me from taking a nap. I laid down at the rear of the cave, putting the dummy between the back wall and my stomach. Gregory stood at the very rim of the cave, crouched low as he scanned the darkening forest for signs of movement.

I heard several loud punches.

_Damn. I fell asleep. _

"ROSE GET THE HELL AWAKE!" Gregory yelled.

I was on my feet in a second, the practice stake in my hands.

"How many!?" I yelled, running to the lip of the cave.

He didn't need to answer.

There were three.

Shit. I probably would've let lose the whole extent of my sailor's vocabulary, but I felt it wasn't really the time.

Normally, three real Strigoi against two Guardians and a Moroi target would result in what Christian glibly called the "Guardian-Population-Control-Technique-A.K.A-Super-Inhumane-Backstabbing-Your-Comrade-Move." What did that mean? One Guardian stays behind and holds of the Strigoi and the other takes the charge and runs.

Unfortunately, that wasn't allowed on the test. And even if it was, I'd go to hell before letting Gregory take on three "Strigoi".

On the other hand, despite his persistent insistence that he was no good at fighting, Gregory held his own. His fighting style was pretty different than mine, Eddie's, or Dimitri's; instead of using speed to land heavy punches in openings, Gregory ran straight at his opponent. That was pretty weird; I mean the guy could navigate a minefield with lead boots if he needed to. But fighting he looked clumsy and ill-prepared.

I stepped out of the lip of the cave, leaving half a foot between me and the opening.

One of the "Strigoi" broke off from the group attacking Gregory and proceeded to aim punches at me.

Underneath the black cloak, I managed to get a glimpse of the Guardian. She was a younger woman, probably in her late twenties. I didn't recognize her.

Her hand flashed up, sweeping in a graceful arc towards my shoulder. I twisted my body out of the way, side kicking with my left foot.

Instead of dodging like I thought she would, she grabbed it in her left hand.

"Shi—" I began to cuss but felt my body fall to the ground. The woman smirked and leapt over me, aiming to get to the Moroi dummy in the cave.

I growled, rolling over onto my stomach and catching her by the ankle. I swung my hips around, sweeping her feet off the ground with my feet.

"AH!" I heard Gregory yell. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my partner gasping for air against a tree. Half of his face was red and swollen. At least one of his attackers had stepped off the side, effectively "killed."

My own opponent seemed to take offense that I was ignoring her. She was on her feet faster than what I thought possible. Apparently I really pissed off because she then decided to aim a fist punch into my chest. _Damn. Rose, exhale now!_ I breathed out sharply, in order to minimize the stress to my solar plexus.

_At least you learned something from my extra lessons,_ I imagined Dimitri's voice commenting.

The woman frowned, her stoic face scrunched with surprise.

I got to my feet too, although I felt a twang of embarrassment. I probably was nowhere near as graceful.

First thing first. I had to get between her and the cave mouth again. I gripped my stake tightly and thrust it towards the woman's target. Being "Strigoi," she couldn't grab onto my weapon (something I realized was her fighting techniques; taking my attacks head on and using them against me). As she dodged, I aimed a punch at her face.

It landed and I felt a satisfactory crunch underneath my fist. It felt nice. Not losing the chance, I jammed my stake into her chest as she stumbled to recover. She gasped, looking surprised that I actually staked her. But nevertheless, she held up her hands, conceding defeat.

"Rose! You did it!"

I looked back and saw Gregory on all fours but still looking like the witty (and really dorky) guy he was.

Our three attackers gathered together and lifted off their hoods. The other two were Guardians I knew—Stefan and Peter Ivanov, brothers who ran border watch near my dorm.

Stefan looked at Gregory and smiled, showing a pair of shiny white teeth. Someone loved his teeth too much.

"Gregory, my brother and I are pleased with your performance today," he said in a thick Russian accent despite his perfect grammar.

Peter grunted. "However, we feel that your timing needs more practice, as does your fighting strategy." He looked at the female Guardian.

"I'm not sure if you know this," the woman said. In actuality, she was beautiful. Her hair was so blond it was almost white, and it fell in long curls down her back. Her green eyes glinted at me, underneath perfectly sculpted eyebrows. "My name is Julia Szendrey. I am here to assist with the Breaker." Her name told me that she was from Europe (big shocker there), but her English was flawless. I couldn't hear a trace of her accent, if she had one.

"Rosemarie," she continued, "you have not let your reputation down." I wondered if that was a compliment or not. "But you are careless. You let Gregory distract you from your performance and almost let me into the cave."

I stiffened but kept my tongue in my mouth. Was it just me, or did Julia Szendrey seriously hate my guts?

"Before we leave, is there anything else you need to tell us? Any problems with health, injuries, or partnership?" Julia asked.

We both shook our heads.

The Guardians congratulated us one last time and disappeared. Their capes easily masked their movements, melting away in the darkness.

Once I was sure they wouldn't be coming back, Gregory and I moved back into the cave.

I couldn't directly help him. Who knew if we were still being watched.

"She was wrong, you know."

My gaze didn't waver from the dark trees, but I shifted my weight to acknowledge his voice. "What do you mean?"

I heard a muffled ripping noise – the sound of a Band-Aid being ripped out of its package.

"Guardian Szendrey was wrong in her assessment. Our assignment is to backup our partners. What you did wasn't a distraction," Gregory reminded me.

I laughed lowly. "I don't think anyone else will see it that way. But I appreciate your vote of confidence."

"Alright. Well you think about that; I'm going to sleep."

I nodded.

I supposed about ten minutes passed of absolute boredom passed before the next attack.

I saw the black shadows of the trees fluctuate. Someone was out there.

"Gregory," I hissed. My hand lingered on my practice stake.

"Strigoi?" he asked, completely alert.

"Yah. I think."

"God, this sucks."

"Just stick with the target," I snapped. I stepped into the moonlight.

The cold air blasted me awake. If I'd been tired before, I sure wasn't now. My long sleeve thermal wasn't much against a chilly, spring night in Montana.

The shape moved into the center of the little clearing in front of me. That was weird. Strigoi didn't really do that.

I didn't move.

_Roza, I don't know how you're going to survive after today. Move those legs of yours._

I shook my head. That's _just_ what I needed at the moment; Dimitri giving me backseat fighting tips.

The shape moved its arms. I caught a glimpse of deathly white arms as they moved to lift the hood off.

My eyes narrowed. Something was wrong.

I squeezed my practice stake harder, subconsciously letting the polished wood give me courage.

"Rosemarie, didn't Dimka teach you better?"

I growled. "What the hell are you talking about?"

The hood fell down.

I gasped.

"You're Strigoi?" I exclaimed, just feeling the nausea sweep into my stomach.

--

**[[A/N: I'll leave it at that. Can you guys guess who is the Strigoi? As always, I ask for reviews! PLEASE!]]**


	8. Ex Boyfriend's Almost Girlfriend

**[[A/N: I'm trying out this new theory. Asking things at the top of the page here doesn't get so many responses. But it does at the bottom. So instead of asking you to read and review in the starting A/N's, I'm going to put it at the bottom.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Building off the first A/N, I have to say. I probably didn't use a very discreet hint. Duh. It's Tasha. Just read on to find out why our firestarter lady has awakened.]]**

**--**

"Tasha! What the hell?" I snarled.

"Rose, calm down," Tasha placated. Her voice was different. Sharper, but I could hear the same ol' frank rationality that seems to be in the Ozera genetics or something.

"Why the hell should I do that?" I demanded. I held the practice stake out, bending my arms in to protect my center. "You of all people! A Strigoi?"

Tasha looked at me directly, but I couldn't read her face. Her red eyes reflected the perfect mask of calm.

"I need to talk to you, Rose," Tasha continued. She glanced behind me. "Without Mr. Waters, please."

"About what?" I seethed. I couldn't believe that Tasha Ozera, the woman who had seen it all and survived, had awakened. I didn't know if it was on purpose or by force, but I didn't care. She had been the leader of the Moroi fighting force, and what she had become felt like a stab in the back.

"About Dimitri," Tasha said simply. "And your plans to break out Victor Dashkov."

I blanched. "How do you know about that?"

Tasha smiled and shook her head, looking towards the cave.

I was used to seeing her with fangs, but they somehow looked more menacing paired with her ruby eyes.

"Rose?" Gregory called. "Are you okay!"

"Make an excuse," Tasha ordered quietly.

I hesitated. Since when did I take orders from a Strigoi, even if she was Tasha.

"Do it," Tasha hissed, her eyes glinting dangerously. Oh yah. She was definitely a Strigoi.

I was reluctant but did as she commanded. "Yah, I beat him." I paused. "I have to go the girl's room."

"Alright!" Gregory yelled.

Tasha beckoned me to follow her in the woods. I did so, but grudgingly. I felt the natural unease and hatred that I felt towards all Strigoi, but Tasha seemed different. I wasn't sure if it was because of my neutral feelings to her Moroi self or if I just was too tired to think properly.

About half a mile away from the cave, Tasha stopped and turned towards me.

"You need to hear me out fully before you make any snide remarks," Tasha started.

"Well," I said sarcastically, "you have my undivided attention."

Tasha pursed her lips. "As you can see, I'm…a Strigoi." Her voice was sharp and frustrated.

I wished I had my real stake with me. "Since when? Last time I saw you was a month ago before Spring Break."

"A couple weeks ago," Tasha said. "In Venice."

"Venice?" I repeated.

"I was visiting…some Moroi acquantiances of mine."

"And you were turned while there?"

"Yes."

I narrowed my eyes. "Does Christian know?"

Tasha shook her head, her face impassive. "I'd rather he not."

"Sometime he is going to find out."

"Let's deal with that when the time comes."

I laughed incredulously. "What makes you think there will be an _us _after this? I could kill you right now."

Tasha smiled. "You shouldn't kill me. As much as I'd love to fight against you, Rose, I have some information that will make my life very valuable."

"What information?" I demanded.

"About any Strigoi you want," Tasha said.

My knees nearly gave out. "Excuse me?" I had to ask through my teeth.

Tasha sighed impatiently, her red eyes giving me a disappointed look. "Information, Rose. I can give the Guardians information on their enemy." She glanced down. "At _our _enemy."

That's what alerted me. "Tasha, we don't share a common foe now," I snapped, eager to pounce on her verbally, if not physically. "You're Strigoi now. Dhampir and Moroi hate you. _You _are our enemy."

"Did I ever have a choice in the matter?" Tasha snapped. She closed her fists tightly, her arms shaking. "I never wanted to become this."

I shook my head. It couldn't be remorse I heard in her voice. That was impossible. Strigoi didn't regret what they had become, voluntary or not. I'd seen complete acceptance in every single one I'd fought. Including Dimitri.

"I'm trying here, Rose," Tasha breathed, inhaling deeply. "I am trying to be…your ally."

"I'm not looking for one at the moment. Sorry, come back when you're Moroi again," I retorted.

"Enough!" Tasha leapt at me with amazing speed. But it was like my fight with the secretary the other day. Moroi had no formal fighting. Even with Tasha's enhanced speed and rather impressive background, she couldn't have had much practice in controlling her new body.

I ducked, letting her soar over my head.

She landed, spinning on her toes. "Thanks for dodging," she mumbled.

"No more talking," I shouted angrily. I was pushed over the edge, and I wasn't going to be led back very easily.

"ROSE STOP!" Tasha exclaimed quickly. "Don't you want to hear about Dimitri? I said _any_ Strigoi. And I meant _any_."

"What do you know?" I asked coldy.

Tasha smiled. "See, now I had heard from Christian that you'd gotten over the man. He is _dead_ after all." Something in her eyes told me she knew the truth.

"Spit it out," I urged, my voice cracking with pent up anger and sorrow.

"He was here, right? He said he was coming back to wish you good luck," Tasha muttered.

"Yah, he was," I said softly.

"If you want to find him, or Victor, for that matter, you will trust me," Tasha said firmly. "You aren't stupid, if anything."

I grimaced._ If anything has changed because of her transformation, it's her attitude. Or maybe she's always been like that after Dimitri turned her down_. That gave me a tiny pinch of smugness.

"Alright, so let me get this straight. If I do what you say and listen to you and promise not to kill you in your sleep, figuratively of course, you will tell me about how to find Victor's prison?" I surmised. I wasn't even bothering with how she knew about my plan. At that moment, I wouldn't have been surprised if she knew how many moles were on my body.

Tasha nodded.

I hated myself for saying it, but I clenched my fists and agreed. "So what do we do now? I can't kill you, but for some reason, you need me."

"For my own purposes," Tasha explained vaguely. "I'm not completely bloodthirsty."

I snorted. "Let's see how you are in a couple of days."

Tasha smiled mysteriously. "Don't get me wrong, Rose. I hate being a Strigoi, but I'm not going to starve myself on morals. I've already eaten."

I knew the implications behind her words. I shuddered. Somehow, I never really imagined Tasha Ozera feeding. She seemed to perfect to do so.

Tasha titled her head to the sky. "Seems like Gregory is calling for you. Stupid boy. He is basically shouting out your team's position. Someday, he is going to get himself killed."

I nodded. "Sounds like you're saying goodbye."

"Haha. Yes. For now. I'll contact you after graduation," Tasha confirmed.

I felt a little cocky now. The tense atmosphere from before was much lighter. "You aren't going to send some raging, Moroi secretary after me, are you?"

Tasha didn't laugh. She gave me a small nod and began sprinting off in the opposite direction of the campsite. Her movements were quick and refined, reminding me of an oversized fairy. I had a feeling she was holding back when she ran at me before.

I quickly made my way back to the campsite.

I could tell I was gone too long.

"What the hell, Rose?" Gregory growled. His albino skin was even paler, if that was even possible. "Where were you?"

"Bathroom," I explained. "I guess dried meat and berries actually works nature's magic on my colon or something."

Gregory glared at me, and I had to feel a little sorry for him. He was white as a sheet and shaking. No joke. Here we were. Out in the middle of the wilderness with nothing to eat or drink except what we brought with us and under constant threat of teachers. I'd go a little insane too.

I groaned, feeling the guilt, and pulled him as far into the cave as possible. I dug around in my backpack, pulling out my small packet of food.

"Eat and sleep," I commanded. "I'm taking watch."

"You sure? It's yours." Gregory whimpered, but I could hear the drowsiness in his voice.

I grunted and resumed my seat near the cave entrance.

I had time. Again. I was pretty sure that being a Guardian gave you that.

So I had my "ex-boyfriend," if you can call Dimitri that, with super sun resistant powers, my "almost-boyfriend" waiting eagerly to sweep me off my feet as soon as I leave St. Vlad's, and my "ex-boyfriend's" almost-girlfriend turned almost-Strigoi and carrying information about my ex-nemisis turned "ally." I didn't even know it was possible to cram so much into the last week.

But, I could pretty much define what I felt at that moment in one word.

Screwed.

--

**[[A/N: Before you start asking in the reviews why Tasha is a seemingly good Strigoi, I'll tell you. I can't have **_**everyone**_** a bad guy. Besides, Tasha really isn't the bad guy type. She is more like the side character that everyone loves to hate. Not evil at all. Besides, she'll come in handy later in the plot.]]**


	9. Piggyback

**[[A/N: No reviews? I feel sad! Please keep reviewing. It makes me happy and more likely to review!]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Because no one reviewed, I'm not sure about anyone's opinion about Tasha…so I'll assume that you guys had relatively good ideas about it.]]**

**--**

As soon as the shadows of the trees began to disappear, which was about 5 in the morning, Gregory and I started down the mountain.

According to my watch, we still had until midnight to get down the mountain. From what I guessed, it wasn't going to be too hard to reach the finish line on time. Everything seemed downhill, literally.

"Take the lead," I told Gregory.

He nodded shortly. He still seemed to be angry with me abandoning him the previous night to talk to Tasha.

I handed him the dummy and let him pick the pace.

It was pretty fast. Gregory's legs pumped hard, carrying him down the steep mountainside. I frowned. It didn't seem like the best speed to go at, seeing that we were going mostly downhill on a rocky, dangerous slope.

"Gregory," I yelled. "Slow down. You're going to fall."

He ignored me. So much for being docile and obedient. Maybe I'd already had influenced him badly from the day before.

I gritted my teeth but dug my heels into the ground, figuratively, and followed. My feet hurt from my two fights the day before, but I ignored the throbbing.

After about ten minutes of _sprinting_, the slope began to be too much. I knew from reviewing the map before leaving that a river cut through the mountainside, creating a steep ravine. Our proctors had set up a couple bridges, but they weren't marked on our maps.

"Gregory, slow down!" I yelled. "We need to think about our next moves!"

The idiot didn't listen.

Idiot.

Idiot.

Idiot.

I ran faster, trying to catch up to Gregory. He must've heard me because the stupid guy picked up his pace too.

"Damn—" I cursed.

I felt my ankle give way underneath my weight.

I had about a second to scream before the real pain came.

"AHHHHHH!" I shouted, feeling myself fall forward. I put my hands out to catch myself, which probably wasn't such a good idea seeing that I was running on rocks.

Well, my arms did catch my fall, but the slope was to the point where gravity kind of took over if you weren't careful. Like running 10 mph when you really should be walking.

I rolled for who knows how far. I remembered all my lessons from the past three years on how to fall correctly. I put my arms up over my face and head, to avoid any serious injuries.

"ROSE!" I heard Gregory yell. From where I heard his voice over my own grunts, I guessed I had rolled past him.

My back hit something hard and thin. Thank god there were still trees sprouting up. I breathed a sigh of relief, uncovering my face.

That's when the pain kicked in.

And holy crap, I wanted to die.

Okay, not die, per say, but I seriously felt like shit. Most of the pain came from my arms and knees. I wasn't surprised. They were the two places that had gotten shredded by the rocky ground the most.

I glanced down at the outside of my forearms.

It was impossible to describe. My skin was ripped up, revealing red gashes that streaked from my knuckles down to my elbows. Rock had torn through my long-sleeved shirt and gotten caught in the wounds. My knees were mirror images of my arms.

Gregory was at my side in an instant. The dour face from the morning had changed into his usual over worried one.

"Rose, are you okay?" he asked stupidly.

I gave him a look. "Totally. Awesome. I'm 110% great. Rolling down hills and getting rock chips in my arms is everyday stuff. "

Gregory flinched, hearing the bite of my words. "Rose, I'm so sorry!"

I didn't forgive him. "Help me get my wounds bandaged, and maybe we'll talk," I said angrily.

Gregory nodded. He took off his backpack and set it on the floor. He quickly unzipped the top and grabbed the medical kit.

I held out my arms weakly, wincing as I unbent my arms.

"They aren't broken at least," Gregory said brightly, trying to make small talk.

I snorted. "Yah, at least."

He gently peeled back my ruined sleeves. I bit my lip to prevent myself from screaming. The fabric had suctioned onto my torn up arms; my blood was caked all over it. He looked at me apologetically and I _almost_ felt like apologizing. Almost. But then I realized why he had given me that look. In his hand was a bottle of rubbing alcohol. I groaned.

Gregory must've had a hundred cotton pads. He gently dipped a couple at a time in the travel bottle of rubbing alcohol and dabbed them onto my wounds. I hissed, feeling the stinging pain combine with the overall excruciating aches of my entire body. After going through several packages of cotton swabs, Gregory wrapped my arms straight, but not so tight that my elbows would lock.

Immediately, I could see that it was just emergency treatment. Within second, tiny red stains began to blossom through the white, linen wraps. We needed to get down the mountain quickly.

Gregory sensed my impatience. "I still have to do you knees," he reminded me.

"Just hurry," I snapped.

Gregory smiled smugly. He rummaged through the medical kit and came out with a pair of scissors. After a few snips, he had chopped off the legs of my pants so the hem came above my knee. His hands seemed more adept now. He bent my knees as gently as they could so they were at 90-degree angles and wrapped them tightly in antiseptic gauze and linen wrap.

"Alright, so how are we going to get down the mountain?" I huffed, sitting helplessly as Gregory put away his first aid supplies.

"The old fashioned way," Gregory explained. He slung his backpack onto his chest and fitted the straps so the waist buckle wrapped around his back. He moved behind me.

"Old fashioned way?" I repeated, trying to see what he was doing. Suddenly, I felt my back weigh much lighter. Gregory had unclipped the removable straps of my backpack. "Hey!"

"You will piggyback on me," he said. He clipped my backpack so it hung around one arm.

"No way," I exclaimed. "I am not a two year old!"

"Rose, we have to do this," Gregory reasoned. He bent to squatting level. "Put your arms around my neck and try to grab the front of my shirt."

I wanted to laugh at him—call him a loser and say he was being stupid. But I didn't really see any way out of the predicament I was in. Sighing, I did as he said. I must've looked like a moron, swinging my arms like a ragdoll. I scooted closer so his back was against my chest. My armpits were pressed into his shoulders, allowing me to grab his shirtfront without bending my elbows. The whole effort of clenching my fists brought tears to my eyes.

"Ready?" Gregory asked.

"I'm not sure how you'll be able to carry me," I said, looking at the backpacks that hung on him like coats on a coat rack.

Gregory chuckled. He glanced back at me, and I could see his warm, reddish-brown eyes give me a wink. I looked away, feeling flustered. He laughed again, reaching backwards and underneath my butt.

"Don't you dare do anything kinky," I warned.

"And risk getting my ass kicked when you get better?" Gregory asked teasingly.

He grunted, lifting me up. His fingers interlocked into a support for my ass. He gently edged one knee through his arm and the other through the hole between his arm and the backpack. Now I could see why he wrapped my legs to look like they were sitting. When we started walking, it would be more comfortable for me.

"You okay?" I asked. I could feel his muscles tighten under my own fingers. I found myself wondering what kind of abs he had. Six pack? If only he could fight better…I wonder what he looks like in the gym.

_What the hell? Am I becoming a pervert? _I thought disgustedly. _Gregory is a friend. Not even a friend. A partner. A partner. _

"Yah," he said, exhaling. I couldn't see his face, but he seemed tense.

This time we walked. Which was wise. Gregory was carrying two, full camping backpacks and me. And I wasn't light. I didn't even want to think about what would happen if one of our teachers attacked.

"Gregory?" I asked quietly.

He didn't respond.

"Gregory?" I asked again.

He took a deep breath. His chest rose shakily. "Rose, I can't talk much. It's really hard to breath."

"Oh." I bent my head into his neck, resting. "How about we come up with a system of communication? I will only ask yes or no questions. For you, one grunt is yes. Two grunts are no."

Gregory grunted once.

"You think we're going to pass the Breaker?"

Once.

"How about life? You think we'll survive very long in the real world?"

There was a longer pause after I asked, but again, he grunted yes.

I laughed. "You're obliquely optimist."

Twice.

I laughed harder, but had to stop because the motion made my arms hurt.

"Are you tired?"

Once.

"Should we stop?"

Twice.

"When should we then? We need to take a break sometime."

He didn't answer. Then I remembered: yes or no.

"Should we stop after we cross the ravine?"

Yes.

"Alright," I said finally. I rubbed my forehead sleepily against his neck. "I think I'm going to take a nap. Don't go feeling my ass because I'm going to sleep."

Once.

"I hope that was a yes as in you agree."

Once.

I laughed. "You know what? If you do your damn best to get down the hill on time, I'll forgive you."

I thought he would grunt or stay quiet, but instead I felt his chest rumble with suppressed laughter.

I smiled. "Thanks," I said, before closing my eyes.

I didn't fall asleep completely, but my mind drifted between awake and sleep.

Gregory shook me awake about ten minutes later. "We've reached the ravine."

I opened my eyes and looked out. It wasn't exactly a ravine, but the river had cut a pretty sharp fifteen-foot drop into the mountain.

"How do we cross?" he asked.

I chewed on my lip. "There should be bridges around here somewhere."

Gregory grunted. He neared the edge of the ravine and looked either ways for signs of a crossing.

"I see one," he told me, walking to his right.

"We got lucky," I noted. "I expected we would need to walk a bit."

Gregory grunted yes.

I wondered how far we were behind the rest of our groups. It was surprising that we hadn't seen any other teams on the mountain. There were a lot of us.

The bridge turned out to be a large tree trunk that had "fallen" across the ravine. It wasn't really an accidental felling—the base of the trunk had been sliced from the roots in a clean stroke.

"Can you climb across with all this?" I asked nervously.

Normally, the task wouldn't be too hard. I could run across in a second if I could. But with all the extra pounds he was carrying, I suspected Gregory wasn't entirely surefooted.

"Yah. But I'm going to do this in steps. I'll take you first and then the backpacks."

There was the Gregory I knew and loved. Mr. Smart-Guy.

He gently bent down so my butt rested on the ground. I clung onto his shirt but allowed him to take off the backpacks from his side and chest. Tossing them by the base of the tree, he picked me back up.

"Oh my god!" Gregory said with relief. "I thought all that weight was from the backpacks!" What a guy. Now he was getting cocky when I was disabled.

"Moron," I muttered. "I could punch you for that."

"That's why I'm saying it _before_ you heal."

"Just start walking," I snapped.

He laughed and stepped gingerly onto the tree trunk. I cringed, hearing the wood creak under our combined weight.

Fifteen feet isn't that far to fall. But it would sure hurt if you did.

"I'm guessing twenty feet?" Gregory guessed.

"Yah. Just run for it."

"You sure? It'll be pretty bumpy."

"Greg, I couldn't hurt any more if I wanted to."

"You called me Greg." He twisted his head to look back at me.

I glared at him. "I'll call you Idiotic Moron if you keep stalling."

Greg shrugged, making me wince. He looked down at his feet and then let his eyes trace the lines of the trunk.

"Okay. One. Two. Three."

He sprinted forward quickly, making his steps heavy to keep his balance steady.

And damn. It hurt. Because he was running like a friggin rhino, my whole body was bumped up and down.

And then we were off.

I was breathing heavily, trying to ignore the biting pressure in my arms.

"You okay Rose?" Gregory asked worriedly.

I shook my head. Of course he couldn't see that. "Yah. Just put me down," I lied.

He walked over to a grassy patch in front of a tree trunk and set me down.

"Great tree running skills, by the way," I said flatly.

"I said it would be bumpy," Gregory replied curtly. He turned and climbed back onto the tree. As he started to run, his speed was considerably faster than what it had been with me. And much more fluid.

I watched him navigate the trunk to the other side.

"Why didn't you run like that with me?" I shouted.

"Just sit tight." He hopped off onto the other edge of ravine.

"I don't have much choice," I grumbled.

Then I heard the subtle crunching of rocks and leaves five feet behind the tree.

My heart froze.

I was wide open for attack. I was injured, alone, and had no stake.

And there was someone behind me.

**[[A/N: w00t! Remember to comment people! I have no cookies, but still I would appreciate it!]]**


	10. Revenge

**[[A/N: I'm glad you guys are commenting. Keep it up, yah? My arms hurt like hell from swim practice, but I'll keep writing. ]]**

**[[2****nd ****A/N: Nothing much to say today…oh well. All the more time to read this chapter!]]**

**--**

The crunching got closer.

I knew I probably should've screamed. But if I did, it would probably sound like a little girl's scream. And I refused to sound like that. Ever.

My heart raced with adrenaline. Somewhere I'd read that you could die from too much adrenaline in your body…but why did I feel so nervous? It was just a test.

Yah, well I guess if I "died," I could very well kiss my position as Lissa's Guardian goodbye.

I swallowed hard and grabbed a pile of rocks and dirt in my fist.

The crunch was right behind me.

Now or never. In real life, I'd be screwed. Strigoi didn't make that much noise. Genetics or something. Evilness came with a natural affinity to stealth. And I doubted a fist full of gravel would do much to stop them.

I counted to three.

Gathering all my strength. I twisted my torso towards my opponent, letting my momentum swing my arm (and thus my hand of dirt) up towards his face.

"Oh shit," I exclaimed, seeing whom I had just stoned in the eyes. "Eddie!"

My tutor/friend grunted, falling onto his knees.

"What the hell, man?" I shouted. I looked back at the log. Gregory was just now securing the backpacks onto his body. "GREGORY! GET YOUR ASS OVER HERE!"

--

From what he told us, apparently Eddie and his partner had taken the risk of continuing on through the night and camped just over the ravine.

Apparently, he was on lookout when he'd seen Gregory and I cross the bridge.

"What happened, Rose?" he asked between trying to rub dirt and rocks out of his eyes. I felt horrible. Aside from his very puffed up eyes, he looked like he hadn't sustained any lasting injuries. I guess I ruined his record.

"Fell down the hill," I said simply, choosing my words carefully. Eddie was basically a full-fledged guardian now. If he knew my injuries were because Gregory was venting, it was his duty to report it. I saw my partner flinch in his post.

That's when Mischa Anatova appeared, finally finished cleaning up their campsite.

"Eddie, are you here?" The female novice wandered into the small clearing we had made.

I was stunned. I didn't know Mischa. I'd seen her in the halls a few times but hadn't really gotten a good look at her.

She was stunning. Her family, I knew, was somewhere from Eastern Europe, but Mischa looked more Mediterranean than anything. She looked a lot like me. Her skin was darker, more tan than pale. It made her green eyes and warm, blonde hair pop. And even hunched under the weight of the dummy on her back and the backpack on her chest, she towered over me.

My eyes flickered to Eddie.

I studied his face as he looked at her. He looked…

_Holy crap! He's got a crush on her! _

I snickered. _I wonder how long this has been going on. _

"I thought your partner was a Strigoi…sorry Mischa," I apologized, regaining composure.

She narrowed her eyes. "Really?" Her lips quivered but turned into a large smile. "Haha! Great!" I heard sincerity in her words.

"Great?" Gregory asked skeptically, keeping his eyes on the trees.

Mischa giggled. "The all-famous Eddie Castile, instructing prodigy, can get his ass handed to him."

My mind zeroed into the first part of the sentence. Everything else went in one ear and out the other.

"Dating?" Gregory and I shouted in unison.

Eddie shushed us, but his face was bright red. And I knew that Mischa was speaking the truth.

"Eddie, when were you going to tell us?" I demanded.

"After grad," Eddie promised, "We started dating about two months ago, but because you had just gotten back from Russia…we were going to tell everyone when things settled down." He glared at Mischa. "You had to say dating, didn't you."

His girlfriend blushed. "Sorry!"

Eddie's eyes widened. He looked away, reddening from ear to ear.

I chuckled. I leaned over and whispered into Eddie's ear. "As your friend, I have the moral obligation to tell you this: she has got you under her pinkie!" I laughed.

Eddie snorted. "Whatever, I like it."

My watch chirped. We had better get moving.

"Cake, right?" I said confidently (granted my confidence was a step smaller than before the accudent).

Mischa clucked her tongue. "For us, maybe. For you and Gregory, maybe not." She looked at Eddie. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking, Eddie?"

Gregory and I exchanged quick looks. They were already at the "I know what you're thinking" stage?

"Pair up with them," Eddie stated rather than asked.

"So is that that? We're teaming up?" Gregory asked.

"Yah, that cool, man?" Eddie wondered. "I mean, if you don't want to."

Gregory shook his head. "No, of course we'd appreciate your help!"

So that was that. It took a few tries to arrange how to carry four backpacks and me, but after ten minutes, we started down the hill again. This time, I was riding on Gregory's back, no backpacks. Eddie took the lead, carrying two packs while Mischa took the rear with the remainders.

There was less of an incline now, making it easer on all of us.

"Doing okay, Rose?" Gregory asked about ten minutes later.

I grunted. The pain of being jostled on a guy's back was excruciating, but I knew that he was trying to walk as smoothly as possible.

"Look, again, I'm sorry," he apologized profusely. He lowered his voice so Eddie wouldn't hear "I'm really sorry…for my hand in this mess."

"No worries. I'll get healed up quick," I assured him.

_God, I hope Lissa has been keeping up with her healing skills. I'm gonna need it_, I thought bitterly. With Tasha waiting for me down at the bottom of the hill no doubt, chock full of information on pretty much everything (in exchange for something…I was sure), I had no time for "sick days."

The trek was peaceful. Eddie and Mischa updated us on their fights the previous night. Because they were one of the few teams to continue into the night, they had to fight five times, each with at least four "Strigoi" attackers.

I whistled. "And you haven't 'died' yet?" I asked, impressed.

Eddie's face reddened. "I got points docked because one of the teachers got close enough to touch the dummy, but that's about it."

I laughed. But inside my head, I wondered if Gregory and I had more fights in store. We barely did any combat last night. Did the teachers already know about my injuries? I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.

After an hour, it was time for a rest.

Gregory set me down and helped Eddie and Mischa set up a spot on top of a mossy rock outcropping. It was a perfect place to eat—as Greg continually pointed out—because it was hard to reach, hard to see, and had a great view of the trees around us.

Because the rock was so large, Eddie _and_ Gregory took lookouts. That left just Mischa and me alone. I felt extremely awkward. I didn't know the girl, and I doubted she had that much on me.

But if she was Eddie's girlfriend, I wanted to make a good impression. As the corny phrase goes…something about a friend's friend is your friend or something close.

"Do you need aspirin?" Mischa asked quietly. She was sitting up, her back pressing the two sack dummies to the rock wall behind us.

"No," I said. "I'm fine."

Mischa nodded. Her eyes roamed the forest for any signs of trouble.

Something shiny caught my eye. But it wasn't from the trees. It came from her waist.

"What is that?" I asked.

She looked down, her hand falling to a metallic object. She pulled it out.

It was a stake. Not a dull practice one either. A real, Strigoi hunting stake. Even more so, it was beautifully carved with a diamond, gothic design around the base. Spiraling circles twisted around the grip to the very point.

"It's beautiful," I breathed, my eyes tracing the etched contours of the stake. I felt a tug of familiarity on my heart. Weird.

"Thanks," Mischa said. "My mother had a knack at designing stuff like this. This was one of her favorites."

Normally, I would feel really awkward and apologize about her mother's death, but something intrigued me.

"She died?" I asked quietly, trying to seem as timid and curiously innocent as possible.

Mischa nodded. "Not too long ago. She was on an assignment in Moscow, protecting a Badican politician. She was killed in the battle." A tear gathered in the corner of her eye.

I felt a pang of guilt. "I'm so sorry," I murmured.

Something kept pulling at my subconscious. It bugged the crap out of me. It was one of those feelings that occur when you forget something, but you don't know what.

"It's alright," Mischa sniffed. She rubbed her eyes and fingered the sharp point of the stake. "I'm well over her death by now." She was lying, but I didn't feel any reason to call her for it. I could see why Eddie liked her – Mischa was honest, compassionate, feminine-ish (can you really say any female Guardian is feminine, seeing that we can kick a guy's ass any day of the week?), and probably pretty strong if she survived five battles during the nighttime.

All of the sudden, I remembered. Seriously, I hated spontaneous recollections more than the forgetfulness itself.

_My stake. The geometric pattern on the base. Moscow. The woman. Dimitri. _

My mind began to put together each of the clues. It was like a mental jigsaw. Then, it all clicked.

_Dimitri killed a woman in Moscow. The woman…could it be Mischa's mother—she would be same woman who made my stake…the pattern is so familiar. It's the same as the one on mine… _

"Rose, you feeling alright?" Mischa asked, seeing my look of astonishment.

I shut my open mouth, nodding. While I didn't kill her mother, I felt incredible guilt and sympathy for Mischa. I couldn't tell her that it was my Strigoi tutor/ex-boyfriend that did it. She probably knew about my secret romance with him anyway. Everyone else did.

We just sat there. I didn't know what Mischa was thinking, but judging by her solemn expression, I was pretty sure it was about her mother.

But I had to ask.

"Do you know who killed her?" I whispered. My arms throbbed harder, as if telling me I shouldn't have asked that.

Mischa looked at me. Her green eyes were hard and dangerous.

"No," she said coldly. "Do you?"

I glanced away. "No," I muttered.

Her hand snaked out and gripped onto my shoulder. I hissed, feeling new pain shock my body.

"You know!" she hissed.

I growled. "Let go of me." I had to make a conscious effort to keep from using any profane language. It would only worsen the situation.

"You know who killed my mother," Mischa stormed. "Tell me."

"I don't know," I protested.

"Liar," she cried. "Rose, how can you lie to me! I need to know about this!"

"Even if I did know who did it, I'm not going to be an enabler for your suicide," I snapped. I tore my arm away from her grasp, ignoring the burning sensation in my shoulder.

"Suicide, huh?" Mischa's green eyes softened to speculation.

_Damn_, I cursed. _I must've given something away_.

"You know the guy then," Mischa murmured. "Someone who is strong enough to beat Mom. And someone you know? Someone who has fighting skills you can't match. Someone is Russia…who?"

God, it was like watching soap operas. You knew what was coming next. But by the time everything played out, you had already guessed the plotline several times.

"No way," Mischa exclaimed, keeping her voice low. "Guardian Belikov?"

I bit my cheek. That was all she needed.

Mischa laughed sharply. Her voice grated my ears.

"If I had known sooner, I wouldn't be here." She squeezed her stake hard. "I would be out there right now, hunting down the bastard." And then, under her breath, she muttered, "I'll kill him."

I was giving myself a mental facepalm. Over and over and over.

"Mischa, don't do anything stupid," I warned, trying to make my voice light.

No such luck.

Mischa gave me a look. I knew it well. I couldn't count how many times I'd worn the exact same one. And the words that followed it were always the same, no matter the person.

_Says the *insert sarcastic nickname here*, _I thought.

"Says the girl who fucked the guy and then dropped out of school to find him in Russia," Mischa retorted angrily. "I'm not going to stop even if he was your teacher."

I gritted my cheek. _Don't explode, Rose. Calm._

"I made a mistake. And I made one again in Russia. I let myself get taken over by my ambitions." I gave her a hard look. "Don't repeat my mistakes."

_What the hell? I sound like my mother. Since when did this happen? _

Mischa opened her mouth to say something, but Eddie and Gregory returned from watch position.

"Time to go," Eddie said.

And with that, we packed up _again_, preparing for the last leg of the mountain. Everything seemed golden, I had to admit.

As we started walking, I kept glancing back at Mischa was had taken the rear position.

Before, her face had been calmer—more like she wasn't thinking about anything, keeping her face neutral.

What I saw now was the face of a woman possessed. She knew what she wanted, and because of me, she was determined to get it.

I had to wonder.

Back when I left for Russia, did I bear the same look as her?

**[[A/N: So we have Mischa now in our cast of characters. Where does her revenge seeking, slightly disturbing, objectives come into play in this story? I have no idea. I don't write these things with a plan in my head. So keep reading for more spontaneous character drops and plot twists!]]**


	11. Finish Line

**[[A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while, you guys. It's break and I'm sick. WHY!? Oh why, why, why?! But whatever.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: **_**COMMENT PEOPLES! I LOVE YOU IF YOU DO**_**!]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: See what I did there? One whole author's note dedicated to asking people for comments. Now don't disappoint me, fanfic readers!]]**

**--**

Reaching the finish line was…

Well…

Expected?

At the very bottom of the mountain, a large wooden arch decorated in red ribbons and white patterns shaped in the form of the molnija marks. Alberta, Stan, and all of the other teachers stood there, waiting for us. And behind them, all of our friends.

"We made it!" I whispered. I smiled and squeezed Gregory's chest as best as I could without bending my arms.

"No way," Gregory said. He smiled back at me. "Impossible."

As we crossed the finish line, the teachers all shook our hands very professionally.

"Make sure you get yourself healed before you pull any graduation pranks, Rose," Stan warned me. But I could tell my old teacher was actually quite proud.

"ROSE!!!" Lissa shouted. She, Christian, Mia, and all of our friends were waiting underneath a large canopy picketed behind the archway. They all wore sunglasses, seeing that the sun was just barely peaking behind the mountains.

I laughed happily.

"Want me to wave for you?" Eddie asked as we walked towards them. He grasped Mischa's hand in his, squeezing it. I glanced at Mischa's face. I didn't see any of the antagonism before. She wore a mask. It was a pretty good one too.

I shook my head. I'd deal with Mischa later.

From where I could see, I saw all of my friends' eyes go from happiness to shock.

"Gregory, if you could walk faster," I urged. "I think Lissa is going to have a stroke."

We picked up the pace until Gregory was practically gliding over the canopy.

Just as we crossed the shade boundary, Gregory and I were swarmed. With people and questions.

"What happened?" Lissa demanded.

"Nice war wounds, Rose. Talk about beautiful," Christian joked, poking me in the arm.

"How was it?" Mia asked quietly. She seemed awfully silent. Bags ringed her eyes. Jetlag sucked.

"Did you die?"

"Woah, Gregory. You're pretty ripped."

"Eddie, your eyes look horrible."

"Congratulations!"

"Awesome!"

"Holy crap, Rose!"

I laughed. "Everyone quiet!" I sighed. "Questions later." I looked at Lissa, giving her a look that said, Healing first please.

Lissa grinned. "Can everyone let us through? Rose needs to rest," she said, giving everyone a meaningful look.

I felt my nose itch.

The crowd suddenly shut up, splitting in two. They left an oddly straight path away for us to go through.

Lissa led the way for us, heading off towards the makeshift nurse tent.

"Don't tell me," I hissed at Christian.

He chuckled. "Her compulsion has improved, huh?"

"Since when is she so blasé about using her powers?" I demanded.

Christian frowned. "Talk to Adrian about that. He should know."

I bit my lip. "Where is the guy anyway?"

"Most likely hung up on booze in the dorms. No doubt he'll meet you for the promise mark ceremony tonight."

--

It was just me and Lissa in a makeshift room of canvas sheet walls. It'd taken coaxing to get Gregory to leave. But apparently his father had come to the academy and was waiting for him.

"_I'll come back," Gregory promised. _

_I smiled. "Greg, go meet your father. I'll be up at the academy soon."_

_My partner nodded quickly. Giving me one last look, he ran out of the room, leaving me alone with my best friend and hopefully my charge._

"So," Lissa said casually. She helped me lay back on the patient cot in one of the private rooms in the nurse's office. She placed her hands over my legs and closed her eyes. "Seems like you and Gregory are pretty close."

I blushed. "Seems like you can heal much better. You've been practicing outside Adrian's sessions."

Lissa laughed. "I've been practicing ever since you got back from Russia." She gripped my shins and squeezed. I flinched, waiting for the pain to shoot up my body. But there was none.

"They're healed!" I exclaimed. I chuckled. "Lissa, the miracle worker from God."

Lissa gave me a look. "Not God. Spirit," she reminded me. "I want to be some help when we go find Victor."

"Just don't go overdoing it," I said carefully. She moved onto my arms. I could feel the warmth spread across my muscles, repairing the rips and tears in my muscles and bones.

"You're hedging, Rose," Lissa said calmly. "Tell me what's your relationship with Gregory Waters."

"We haven't had sex, if that's what you mean," I said sarcastically.

"Rose, seriously."

"Look, if your worrying about Adrian—I'm going out with him as promised. But for one date." I gave Lissa a hard look. "No promises, and he knows that."

"I just don't want you hurting his feelings," Lissa said simply, patting my arm to signal that she was done.

I thanked her, sitting up. Despite her heal job, I was still pretty sore from riding piggyback for the greater part of the last part of the trek.

"Well, anything else I should know about other than your "platonic" relationship with Gregory Waters?" Lissa asked, sitting down on a stool.

I tapped my chin, pretending to think hard. "Did you know Eddie is going out with Mischa Anatova?"

Lissa gave me a surprised look. "Since when?"

"Since I returned to school, apparently. You think you know a person…"

"No really," Lissa murmured. "I thought Mischa was dating Louis Danvers"

I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," we said in unison.

The door swung open revealing a Janine Hathaway, in all her five-feet of badass-ness. She was decked out in formal Guardian garb – an all black suit with white shirt that completely covered any hints of her femininity.

"Mom?" I exclaimed.

She rushed over to me and gave me a huge hug. "Congratulations," she told me elatedly, squeezing the life out of my newly healed muscles.

"Thanks, Mom," I said, hugging back tentatively. I was getting better at it, but you can't expect a 100% mother-daughter relationship after just a few emotional meetings.

She let me go finally, standing back. Her eyes were watery with pride.

"Mom, I'm seeing a whole new side of you," I said teasingly, hoping to ease the awkwardness.

"Sorry," she said, rubbing her eyes. She looked at Lissa. "Congratulations in graduating, Princess."

Lissa smiled. "I keep telling you to call me Lissa."

Janine pursed her lips. There was the ol' traditional Janine Hathaway. "So you do," she said.

"So why are you here?" I asked edgily.

She gave me a sharp look. "Rosemarie Hathaway, I'd be a dead woman if I missed your promise mark ceremony," she snapped. But her eyes were soft. "Your father couldn't make it, but he sends his regards."

"You talked to Abe?" I asked incredulously. Lissa looked confused. Oh yah. That's right. I hadn't told her about my mobster father yet. I had a lot of explaining to do.

"Yes, and I wish you wouldn't look so startled," Janine told me, studying my face. "He's a good man. I don't know what impression you got from him."

"First impression, a mob stalker. Second impression, a mob stalker with Guardian muscle. Third impression…the guy who likes to break knee caps," I told her flatly.

Janine smiled. "Yes, people say that a lot." Her eyes got dreamy.

_God, what the hell? No way can Mom have a 'dreamy' look. That's just wrong. Older women should not be able to physically have that look anymore. It's disturbing_, I thought, thoroughly creeped out.

Lissa coughed, bringing both of us back to earth. "Are you here for long?" she asked my mother.

"No, just for the ceremony. I have to leave for Manhattan soon for my new assignment."

My heart dropped. I was kind of looking for quality bonding time with Mom. After all, I could very well be dead at the hands of Victor Dashkov (or his prison guards…or Dimitri…or Tasha) in a couple weeks.

"Well, I'll leave you two back to talking," Janine said quickly. She gave me another hug. "I'll see you at the ceremony." She smiled warmly—I knew I had made her proud by graduating. She bowed a little in respect for Lissa and left.

"Thanks, Mom," I murmured.

Lissa wasted no time. "Okay, now that she is gone…"

I knew what conversation was coming up next.

"Did you handle the Queen Bitch?" I asked first.

Lissa bit her cheek. "In a way."

My eyes narrowed. "What way?"

"Well you know how I barely managed to convinced her to let me attend Lehigh University starting next year?"

"Yah, you just got her to submit a couple weeks ago."

Lissa nodded. "Well, I told her that I was going to take a term off to travel."

"I don't like the sound of where this is going."

"Just wait a moment!" Lissa said huffily. "I said I wanted to travel. The Queen permitted it, but she told me I was going to be assigned another Guardian."

My jaw dropped. "No f&*ing way."

"It was the only way!"

"She muscled you into this. You're her puppet."

"Rose, try to look on the bright side of this situation."

I shook my head. "Lissa, we already have to tell Christian and most likely Adrian (if he doesn't already know)! And they will probably try to come. I can't have another person in this group. It makes it too hard to accommodate into the plans!"

"Do you even know the plans?" Lissa asked reasonably. "It might not be so bad to have another Guardian tagging along."

I groaned. "Liss," I protested.

"Sorry, Rose. But you know, if you have someone you recommend, I could get him to be assigned to me. Someone who we can trust with the Dimitri secret."

I sank back into the pillow on the cot in defeat. If I had to choose any one Guardian that I knew—one Guardian that I could trust with my secret—it would have to be someone cunning, strong, and not a complete dumbass with too many ties to the Queen.

Someone came to mind.

"Fine," I said. "I want Gregory Waters to be your second Guardian." He'd proven himself during the challenge to be a trustworthy partner. I knew I could trust him with my life and hopefully now with this.

Lissa's eyebrow raised. "Gregory?" She thought about it for a second. A smile broke out onto her face. "He could work."

I nodded. "He can work."

**[[A/N: It's a short chapter today. I feel too sick to continue. Remember to keep **_**commenting. **_**If you don't have an account and you are reading this, make one! It'll be worth your while!]]**


	12. Trust

**[[A/N: So just for the heck of it, I made an outline of where I want this plot to go. I hate making outlines, but I just wanted to make sure I got all of the details in. I have a **_**long**_** way to go. Seriously. I hope you guys are okay with having a long story]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: COMMENTS ARE APPRECIATED]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: Warning: This chapter will be fluffy and serious. But I had to have this chapter somewhere.]]**

**--**

Surprisingly, not everyone passed the exam. I wasn't shocked though. In fact, it was relieving that they wouldn't be full-fledged Guardians. They would just get killed their first day on the job.

Because half the class failed the Breaker, those of us who passed barely filled up two rows of chars in the assembly hall.

I fidgeted uneasily.

"Does it hurt?" Greg asked me quietly, sitting on my left.

To my right, Eddie looked pale.

"Relax," I told him sternly, elbowing him in the side. I turned to look at Gregory. "Yes, it does hurt. But be a man, Greg. It's a tattoo. And it's tiny. The molnija marks you'll earn later will be ten times bigger."

Gregory nodded. "You're right," he said firmly. "I'm a dude. I can handle a tiny tattoo."

I sniggered. "Totally. _Dude_."

Gregory grimaced. "Haha, you are _so_ funny—" he started to say but the whirr of the microphone being turned on cut him off.

Alberta stood on the elevated platform in front of us. Behind her were two chairs for the novice and one for Lionel. A fold up stand had been set up next to it, holding a tray with the needles and ink.

Wait. What was I saying? We were Guardians now. The thought made me smile. Finally.

"Thank you all for coming," Alberta said, addressing the parents and novice Dhampir who sat behind us. Moroi students were banned from this ceremony. "We are gathered here to welcome in the newest generation of Guardians." She gestured towards us. "They have proven themselves as worthy Guardians for the past few years; in combat, intelligence, and endurance to succeed in all things."

She coughed and continued. "It was my pleasure to watch over these children as they grew. And now it is my pleasure to bring them forward into the world of Guardians. I, along with every single teacher here at this academy, welcome them."

Alberta waved Lionel to come over.

The older Guardian nodded at her politely and took a seat in his chair, cleaning his needles with a cloth.

Eddie shifted nervously next to me. "Chill," I heard Mischa whisper at him. "Eddie, it'll be okay."

Alberta pulled out a white sheet of paper. "When I read your name, please come up and receive your promise mark. While bearing it, you represent St. Vladimir's Academy and you represent your duty as a Guardian, with loyalty to your charge and to yourself."

And that's when she began to read off the list.

It went in alphabetical order by last name. That meant Mischa Anatova was near the top of the list, Eddie Castile was close to her, I was smack dab in the middle, and poor Gregory Waters was among the last on the list.

One by one, Alberta called us up. Mischa turned out to be third on the list. She gave us a brave smile. She squeezed Eddie's hand firmly and walked up to the stage. Everyone was silent as she glided up the stairs and to her seat.

Lionel brushed her long hair away from her neck and began to disinfect the base of her neck. The promise mark would go directly on the seventh vertebrae, the large bone you can feel when you bend your head forward.

The needle began to whir across Mischa's skin, drawing a small, cursive V with a four-pointed star above it.

"Mischa Anatova, do you agree to abide by the rules set forth by the Court? Do you agree to honor your superiors and the ruling monarch? Do you agree to follow the path of the honorable Guardians before you and devote your life to your charge?"

"I do," Mischa whispered.

Alberta smiled. "Welcome, Guardian Anatova."

And Mischa's turn was over. She did not return to her seat with us, instead standing at the back of the platform with the other two newly initiated Guardians.

Five people later, Eddie was called.

He looked rather calm as Lionel imprinted the promise mark onto his neck.

And then he was a Guardian. I heard a few murmurs from the adults behind us. Eddie had a future. He had promise – I sort of envied that. I wanted peace in my life. But nooooo. I had to go off and break out a jailed royal criminal from God knows where. His future and mine were on two completely different sides of the social spectrum.

"Rosemarie Hathaway."

Gregory nudged me. "Go on, Rose."

I bit my lip. "Thanks." I got up from my seat and made my way up to the platform.

I climbed the stairs and took my seat in front of Lionel. He smiled at me. We'd been in the same position before, but he had been tattooing molnija instead of the promise mark.

"Hi, Lionel," I whispered quietly.

"Hello, Guardian Hathaway," he replied. I grinned. I liked the ring of that.

He pushed my hair away from my neck and applied a cool, disinfecting cloth to my skin. I shivered a little. My heart raced…not in fear, but in anticipation. I wished the needle would come faster. I knew the pain. I wished it would come faster. I wanted to the mark on my neck. I wanted the recognition.

Alberta began to recite the pledge. I didn't listen very carefully. Instead, out of the corner of my eye, I looked out towards the audience. In the back of the room, I saw my mother standing hidden in the shadows. But she was there. And that made me so happy.

The needle buzzed across my skin, stopping every so often to reapply some ink to a different area. The pain was burning, but it was dulled in comparison to the molnija tattoos.

_It's actually happening. I'm going to be a Guardian. God, I usually don't talk to you, but thank you so much! For letting me pass the Breaker. Heck, thanks for just listening to my insane thank-you prayer._

"Do you agree to follow the path of the honorable Guardians before you and devote your life to your charge?" Alberta finished, bringing me back to earth.

"I do," I said firmly. My answer

"Welcome, Guardian Hathaway."

I got up. The room began to clap. I turned towards Alberta and shook her outstretched hand.

Standing in the back of the room, I could actually see Lionel work. Each time he drew the promise mark, I could see his focus.

And when it was Gregory's turn, I felt this sudden desire to be the one with the needle.

_Are you saying you want to be in Lionel's place, _an inner voice asked me.

_No! _I thought.

_No, of course not. You just want to get in his pants_, the voice remarked.

_I had no idea I had such a blunt inner conscious,_ I replied.

_Well, you had the thought for a reason. You want to be close to Gregory. _It wasn't a question.

_Fighting against my conscious isn't fair—you know everything I'm subconsciously thinking! _I accused.

_All's fair in love, war…and deranged conversations with your mind_.

I sighed.

Gregory was tense; I could see it in his posture. He sat straight up, his hands clenched tightly together in his lap. I wanted to yell at him to relax; tight muscles made the pain worse. That wuss was probably going to cry. Oh god.

"Gregory Waters, do you agree to abide by the rules set forth by the Court? Do you agree to honor your superiors and the ruling monarch? Do you agree to follow the path of the honorable Guardians before you and devote your life to your charge?" Alberta asked.

"Yes, I do!" Gregory said, awkwardly shouting his answer. I couldn't see his face, but I bet it was priceless.

"Welcome, Guardian Waters," Alberta said. Gregory nodded quickly, leaping up from the seat. He shook her hand roughly and scurried over to stand by his peers. I got a peek at his face. I was right; he was as red as a beet. Poor guy. It was worse than crying.

And with that, the ceremony was over. The audience stood up and clapped for us as we proudly were marched off stage and allowed to disperse into the crowd.

I stood there awkwardly amidst the crowd, trying to avoid getting knocked over by the intense jostling and hugging and overall sickly sweet love in the room.

"Rose!" my mother called, making her way towards me. For once in her life, her presence _didn't_ make the room part in two.

"I'm an adult; I can't make any kid mistakes," I said, smiling.

"Take this. Hopefully, it'll keep you "kid"-free," she replied very sternly, shoving a small box into my stomach.

I eyed her suspiciously but took the present into my hands. I could see Janine's face light up with anxiousness.

I tore open the wrapping paper, revealing a small white box. I let the wrapping fall to the floor as I opened the top.

Inside the box was a satiny cushion. But on top of that was a small, blood red ring. I gasped. There was no silver or gold band to place around my finger. The whole thing was made out of a pure, crimson ruby.

I stood there, staring, unable to speak.

"It's charmed," my mother said quickly. "Four Moroi blessed this to bring good luck to the wearer, among other such . I've been saving it for just this moment."

I looked up at Janine. "This…Wow." I'm not usually speechless. So think about how seriously shocked I was to get this.

"Well, put it on," she said firmly.

I nodded. I gripped the fragile ring in my hand, giving the box to my mother. The ring felt warm in the palm of my hand. Using my left hand, I pinched the small ring between my fingers and slipped it onto my right ring finer. It fit perfectly.

"I know you'll make me proud," Janine told me gruffly, giving me a huge hug.

I hoped she would tell me that _after_ this adventure I was planning.

--

After I had found all my Moroi friends (they'd been barred from entering the promise mark ceremony but were waiting outside), and they'd all given me congratulatory presents, I gathered Adrian, Lissa, Gregory, and Christian into the empty cafeteria.

"Had enough of the party?" Christian asked me.

"Shut up and sit down," I said flatly. Now was not the time for jokes.

Christian stared at me blankly, but realizing that I was serious, he took a seat on a table bench.

I turned to Adrian and Gregory. "You guys too."

"Yes ma'am," Adrian said, saluting me. He and Gregory sat down at the table alongside Christian. With my three new cohorts waiting for me to speak, Lissa joined me at my side.

"Tell them flat out," she told me quietly. "No sidestepping."

I grunted.

"What's this all about, Liss?" Christian inquired.

"You'll see," she said.

I coughed, bringing the attention back to me. "Now, you guys are here because you are my friends, and I can trust that what I say now will be kept _within_ this circle of friends." I tried to give each of them meaningful stares. "Okay?"

"I'm seeing a whole new side of you, Rose," Adrian joked. "It's kind of hot."

Gregory gave him a sidelong glance, looking a bit worried.

"Seriously, do I have your trust?" I asked wearily. I guess being un-serious for most of the time made it hard for when I actually wanted to get down to business.

"You have mine," Gregory said instantly. I grinned. Good ol' Gregory.

"Me too," Christian said.

I nodded and looked at Adrian. He stared back. "Are you expecting me to say no?"

I shook my head. "I'm expecting you to say yes."

He chuckled. "Yes, then."

"Okay then. Now that I have that done," I started. "Dimitri is alive."

There was a long silence that followed that. I didn't really expect them to burst out laughing or anything, but I sure as hell didn't expect silence. It made me nervous. I couldn't tell what they were thinking.

Adrian spoke first. "Dimitri Belikov?" I guessed stupid questions came first in these situations.

"No, my great-uncle," I said sarcastically. "Yes, Dimitri Belikov."

"I thought you killed him!" Christian snapped.

I shifted uneasily from foot to foot. "I didn't get the stake in deep enough," I grumbled. "Screw me."

Gregory didn't say anything. He looked…lost.

"Gregory, stay with me now," I said firmly. "I picked you because I know you won't freeze up on me."

"Sorry," he mumbled.

"So if Belikov is alive, what's that gotta do with us?" Christian demanded.

I glanced at Lissa. No sidestepping. "In Russia, I met another Spirit user and her partner. They told me of a man who can bring Strigoi back from the dead."

"Who is this mysterious man," Gregory asked softly.

I looked down, twiddling with my fingers. "Robert Doru, Victor Dashkov's illegitimate brother."

Adrian sounded like he was choking.

"That's not possible," Gregory protested, his voice suddenly growing louder.

"I have to try to find him," I reasoned. "I have to."

Gregory stared at me. His face was a mix of emotions that I couldn't read.

"Gregory, please," I whispered. "You have to agree. I need your help." And in truth, I did. I admit it. Gregory was my backup. I would've gone solo if I could, with no help from anyone, including Lissa. But if I had to take another Guardian, I'd take Gregory. He had my trust.

I could feel all eyes on me. Part of me wanted to yell: What are you idiots looking at? Are you in or out?

"I'm coming with you," Christian said suddenly. I looked at him stonily.

"Are you sure?" I asked. _Please say no. Please say no. Please say no._

"Yah. I'm going wherever Lissa is going."

_Damn. _

"You're not disappearing from my site until we get our date," Adrian told me, grinning crookedly.

"Idiot," I muttered, but my smile gave me away.

It was Gregory's silence that brought me back to earth.

"Well?" I asked.

"I…" His voice trailed off.

"What's the problem?" I demanded, feeling like he was stalling. "What reason do you have not to agree with me?"

I could feel my words hit Gregory hard, but he remained stoic. "I…I need to think about it," he said finally. He got up before I could say anything, walking quickly out of the room.

I found myself staring after him, feeling blank and empty.

Lissa suddenly grabbed my hand, pulling me to the side. "You okay?" she asked, her eyes searching my face.

"Yah," I lied, trying to pull off my usual bravado. "Peachy."

"Rose," Lissa said sternly.

I smiled. "Seriously," I insisted. "He'll tell me his answer when he's ready." _I just hope it is the right one…_

Lissa sighed. She and I walked back to Christian and Adrian. The guys looked at us curiously.

"So, what's the plan?" Christian asked.

I frowned. "The plan is to save Dimitri and keep you _alive_."

"Good plan," he agreed.

Lissa raised her hand tentatively.

"Yes, Lissa?" I asked sarcastically.

"We have one little thing we have to do before we go trekking off to find Victor Dashkov," she told us.

We stared at her.

"The Queen has requested my presence at Court, in order to give me her graduation blessing," Lissa explained. "We leave tomorrow."

Adrian began to laugh. "Christian, you are going to regret your decision to follow Lissa everywhere," he managed to gasp, between heavy fits of laughter.

I hoped I wouldn't regret letting these idiots in. And most of all, I hoped I wouldn't regret telling Gregory about my secret.

**[[A/N: I know this was a pretty serious chapter. The whole concept of the promise ceremony and Rose telling her friends about Victor and Dimitri is a naturally serious topic. Don't worry, next chapter will be much lighter.]]**


	13. Date Night

[[A/N: I know the last chapter was pretty sappy. But we can't have Rose cynicism the entire time. This chapter will be better than the last. Our group has moved to Court, and we finally get to see Adrian and Rose's fated date. I'm actually kind of excited to start writing this.]]

[[2nd A/N: What is it going to take to get more readers? Should I change the name so it doesn't include Spirit Bound? But I like the name…what a conundrum.]]

--

Christian and I were together in the Court-haters group. So when we had gotten to the large, Montana penthouse where Court was being held that summer, both of us were in less than positive moods.

"It's only for a couple days," Lissa reminded me as we walked off to our room. Since I was her Guardian now, I was allowed to share a room with her. "Besides, Alberta assigned you to my protection detail officially. Not even the Queen can do anything about that."

"The Queen Bitch can make my life miserable with the snap of her fingers," I retorted. "We don't have time for that."

"I'll make sure she doesn't do anything like that," Lissa said calmly. We walked down the long hall of living quarters. We might've been in a penthouse, but the whole place rivaled the size of St. Vlad's dorm.

"I'll hold you to that," I muttered.

We stopped at Room 412. Lissa pulled out the golden key that she'd been given upon arriving here. She pushed it into the door handle and twisted. There was a clicking noise, and the door swung open.

I walked into the room, slinging my backpack onto one shoulder. I didn't have a suitcase – why would I bring luggage if we weren't going to be staying in one place for very long?

It was like I was visually bombarded by fluff. The room itself was fairly large with two queen size beds. But the interior decorator must've been blind…or suffering ADD. The walls were painted white with pink swirls, placed sporadically around the room. Heavy, mustard yellow curtains hung over the Victorian windows. Red bedspreads covered the overstuffed mattresses. The only things remotely fashionable were the out of place leather couches and plasma TV. A door led off to the bathroom, but if it was as bad as the bedroom, I didn't want to look at it.

I gave Lissa a mournful stare.

"It was a quick move," Lissa explained. "They didn't have much time to set up before we got here."

"It looks like the Hannah Montana and Dracula got married and had a lovechild. And this is the result," I cried. Groaning, I tossed my large camping backpack onto my bed.

"Agreed," Lissa said automatically. She laughed. "Well, I know that the pool house is completely lovechild free. We can go get Christian and Adrian and head off to the pool tonight for some swimming before I meet the Queen tomorrow."

I shook my head. "I would if I could," I said slowly. "But…I have a prior engagement."

"Prior engagement?" Lissa repeated slowly.

"I'll give you a hint. Adrian coming with me."

Lissa gasped. "Your date is tonight!?"

"Yah. We're going downstairs to the hotel dining room. It was just fancy enough to work."

Lissa's eyes widened. "Do you have anything to wear?"

That was a good question. When I was packing for our trip, I wasn't keeping in mind my impending date with Adrian. I had several pairs of sweats, jeans, and shirts. No cocktail dresses.

My look must've said everything. Lissa pursed her lips. "Adrian is counting on you to make an effort in this date."

"It wasn't my fault," I said flatly. "When would I ever wear a dress on this trip?"

Lissa sighed. "Good point, but luckily I brought a couple of dresses along. One will fit."

I gave her a look. "Why'd you pack dresses?"

"If the situation demanded it, I'd rather be prepared." She walked over to her duffel backpack. Unzipping it, she dug through its contents to the bottom where she'd packed several dresses into air tight bags.

Of her selections, I eventually picked a simple green satin dress. The straps were thin, but soft rope braids had been sewn onto them. The braids were woven down the sides of the dress and eventually unraveled into golden thread. The cloth draped over my waist, the green color darkening as it neared my knees.

I changed into it. The cut was perfect – like it was made for me.

"The color is perfect," Lissa complimented. "It brings out your skin color."

I looked at myself in the mirror. I didn't see myself in the mirror. I saw a grown woman, standing clumsily in outrageously tall white stilettos. But she carried herself well, her shoulders back.

"You should wear your hair up," Lissa noted. "So everyone here can see your promise mark." She beamed at me.

I laughed. "Help?" I asked.

Lissa beckoned me to sit on the bed as she grabbed a comb and clips.

--

An hour later, I heard a knock on the door.

"That must be Adrian," I guessed. My heart began to pick up its pace.

"I'll get it. You just…calm down," Lissa said. She hopped up from the bed and ran over to the door.

I heard her open the door. "Adrian," she greeted. "Wow. You look great."

"Thanks, cousin. Can I come in?"

I stood up, giving myself one last quick look in the mirror. Lissa definitely had skill. She'd deftly tied my hair into a curled bun that revealed my molnija and promise mark. She'd also lent me some makeup. My face couldn't take too much color so I had sparingly applied a pink lip-gloss and mascara.

Aside from my mother's graduation ring, I'd decided to not wear any jewelry.

"You look beautiful, little Dhampir," Adrian said.

I studied him. He wore a dark black suit with an ice blue shirt. He'd left his collar slightly apart.

"And you look rich," I teased.

Adrian bowed. "I try. Now, are you ready for our date?"

My eyebrow rose. "Do I have a choice?"

"No."

"Then I'm ready."

Lissa laughed. "You guys are hilarious, but I have a swim date with Christian so I'm going to need you guys to leave."

Adrian grinned. "Be safe," he implied.

Lissa's face reddened. "Just go," she snapped.

I laughed. Taking Adrian's arm, I dragged him out of the room.

The Moroi currently residing in the mansion were still wandering around, socializing. The moon was up, and they were going off the nocturnal schedule. I could feel their eyes on me as we walked towards the elevator leading to the lobby.

"Trust me. They're thinking about how beautiful you are," Adrian whispered. He squeezed me closer to his side.

I smiled. "Thanks," I said earnestly. "But somehow, I'm getting an really antagonistic feeling from them. They're mentally hating me. "

He chuckled softly. "Since when are you the Spirit user? Just don't think about them too much."

We finally reached the elevator. I could barely get through the doors faster.

"Jeez, that was close," Adrian said sarcastically. He smiled. "Rose, off all people in the world, you are scared of Moroi politicians?"

I stuck out my tongue. "I don't like Court" was my simple explanation.

The elevator dinged, motioning us to get off at the bottom floor. We stepped out, coming directly into the entrance to the private Moroi restaurant.

A Moroi waiter bowed. "The Ivashkov party, I presume," he asked in a lofty, European accent.

"That's right," Adrian said.

"Come with me," the waiter said, taking out two menus from the front host podium. He led us through the maze of white-table clothed tables with large candlesticks.

He sat us down in the center of the dining area. The other tables were empty. Which was strange. Moroi royals ate extravagantly at every meal. I was surprised that no one else was here.

"I booked the entire restaurant for us tonight," Adrian explained.

My face flushed. "You didn't have to do that."

"Nonsense," Adrian said, pulling out my chair. I thanked him and sat down. He pushed me in and took his seat across the table from me. The candlelight lit up the sharp contours of his face. His eyes looked yellow in the dim lighting.

"So, you've finally pulled me into a dress, heels, and a date," I said. "What do you plan to do now, Adrian?"

He folded his hands together on the table. "Where to start? I didn't even think I'd be able to get this far."

"I keep my promises."

"Of course." He looked thoughtful, his right eyebrow rising slightly. "How are you?"

That was sudden. "What?" I asked unsurely.

"You heard me correctly. How are you?"

I snorted. "Adrian, you're wasting your date time."

"My date. My time," Adrian said simply.

I bit my cheek. "Whatever. I'm fine, I guess."

"You don't seem fine."

"What?"

"Before we left the academy, you seemed like you had a lot on your mind," Adrian commented.

"Oh." That's what he was implying. I laughed loosely. "Who wouldn't? I'm about to go jailbreak an imprisoned Moroi. I think that gives me a little leeway."

"True," Adrian consented. "But I don't think it's just the plan. You've been thinking about it for some time, but only recently did you start showing your nervousness."

I frowned. "Are you trying to get at something, Adrian?"

Now it was his turn to look awkward. His eyes drifted away from my face to my ring.

"That's beautiful," he said, changing the subject.

I glanced down at it. Ever notice that if you get a compliment about something you're wearing, you automatically look down at it?

"My mom gave it to me as a graduation present," I said. I fingered the ruby ring. It glowed warm on my finger. It was like a tiny heartbeat.

"You're wearing it on your ring finger," Adrian observed.

"Yes…it's on my _right_ ring finger," I said slowly. "Not my left. I'm not married nor have I ever been married or eloped to Las Vegas."

"That would definitely hurt my chances, wouldn't it." He laughed.

I began to laugh with him. The atmosphere was so soft—it was totally natural to be talking to him. Somehow, away from St. Vlad's, he was more relaxed. And I realized, despite the overwhelming pressure of our upcoming adventure, I was too.

We talked for a couple minutes, chewing on bread in the process. Neither of us bothered ordering any food.

Eventually, our conversation drifted to the Breaker.

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there to see you at the finish line," Adrian apologized. "You know me."

"Too well," I teased. "And it's okay. I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone for very long."

"I heard that you were pretty beat up when you came through the finish line."

I waited. I wasn't going to explain unless he asked.

Adrian sighed. "Well how did it happen?"

"I fell down a mountain." That wasn't a lie.

"Really? Because Gregory told me that it was his fault."

My jaw dropped. "He told you? When?"

"We ran into each other after the Breaker."

I groaned. I'd clearly lied to Eddie about my injury, and I knew Gregory understood I was covering his ass. Apparently, Gregory got cold feet. "What exactly did he tell you?"

Adrian eyed me. "He said he was being reckless and didn't listen to your warning to slow down. And that you fell down trying to keep up with him."

I chewed my lip. "That's true," I agreed. I fingered the cloth napkin on my lap. "But that doesn't mean Greg is a bad guy. I can trust my life to him."

"I think you made that clear when you told him about Dimitri," Adrian told me. "But I want to know one more thing."

"What?"

"Do you like him?" Adrian asked.

There was a silence. Across the candlelight, I could see his eyes peering into my own. There was complete seriousness in his expression.

"N-N-No," I stammered, taken aback by his question.

He smiled. "Now say that without stuttering, Rose. Where's that badass confidence we all know and love?"

"I don't even know why you're asking me this question," I snapped lowly. I tore at another piece of bread, feeling frustrated with myself and him. "What brought this on?"

Adrian remained calm. "Gregory told me."

I choked on bread. "He's a liar then. It was a purely platonic relationship during the Breaker. If anything, I wanted to ram his head into the wall for getting me injured like that."

"He was pretty confident that there was a spark though," he insisted. His strong stare held my own, refusing to let me look away.

I looked at him, thinking about what he said. Gregory was a great guy. I could count on him with my life. He knew my deepest secret, and as far as I knew, he was keeping it to himself. There weren't any Guardians knocking on my door to arrest me. But he had abandoned me. I wondered if I was placing too much importance on him. I'd only known him for two days during the Breaker. Perhaps my judgment of his personality and skills was too brief.

Adrian, on the other hand, I'd known for much longer. He was sarcastic, lazy, and a player. He was rich, handsome, and a Moroi royal. He was everything that I didn't look for in guys. But somehow, he had fallen in love with me—or led me to believe he did—and I enjoyed his attention. And I enjoyed being with him.

What was I supposed to do? And what about Dimitri? My heart still ached every time his name drifted into my mind. His kisses were my life force, but each passing second, the memory of them disappeared and was being replaced by Adrian (and maybe Gregory?)

"Rose, I don't want an explanation or some shoddy defense," Adrian said quickly. "Just tell me if I still have a chance with you."

He sounded so sincere. And honestly, I couldn't tell him he _didn't_. I sure as hell didn't know my feelings for Gregory, especially after he walked out on me. I couldn't say there wasn't anything there either. We meshed easily, but maybe that was because I _did _have feelings for him. Nevertheless, Adrian still had a place in my heart…even if I didn't love him.

"You have a chance," I said earnestly, not breaking my gaze.

He smiled warmly. He reached across the table and took my hands. They were smaller than Dimitri's…the only other guy who'd taken my hands so carefully. But Adrian's fingers were softer—he hadn't had a lifetime of staking Strigoi—and they held my own like they were holding a small child.

"Thank you," Adrian said. "I'm warning you. I'm going to be taking that heart of yours."

"Enough with the cheesy pickup lines," I told him sternly. But his smile was contagious and I found myself grinning broadly. "Idiot," I said lightly.

Adrian stood up. "I just wanted to confirm. Since I have a chance, expect more dates to come, Rose Hathaway!" He held out his hand for me to stand up.

I took it and let him pull me up. I felt myself be pulled into his side. He wrapped his hand firmly around my waist. "Shall we get back to Lissa? She'll be worried," Adrian proposed.

"Yah," I said reluctantly. Going back would just mean one more thing closer to meeting the Queen Bitch.

The halls were empty as we walked back to my room. It was just about dawn and most of the Moroi had gone to bed. I could tell Adrian was itching to go drink booze and sleep for 12 hours. But he held himself up straight.

We got to my door, and I couldn't have felt more awkward. It was one of those stupid cliché moments from rom-com movies where the couple stands at the front door at the end of the first date and then there is a dramatic and passionate kiss or something. I always agreed that those girls were wimps and couldn't take the initiative. If they wanted to kiss the guy, why didn't they just kiss him?

But this time, I was that girl. Why was I such a hypocrite?

_Since when did I start comparing me to that kind of girl? It's not like I'm hoping to get a goodnight kiss. Jeez the dress and heels really are messing with my brain._

Adrian must've noticed me edginess. "Would you like a kiss, little Dhampir?"

I was speechless.

He grinned and leaned down. I froze, my face burning. I had faced death, Strigoi, and my parents (both of whom can be scary badasses when the situation calls for it), but I couldn't even handle a kiss? Since when? I'd been kissed before! Why did Adrian make me feel so nervous?

But then I felt his lips brush against my cheek. He pulled away. "That wasn't so bad," he remarked.

I punched him in the shoulder, more out of embarrassment than anger. "Bye," I said shortly and ran into the room without him saying another word.

--

Lissa was already asleep, which was good. I wasn't feeling up to her questions. Instead, I felt bone tired. The bed, despite its tacky bedspread, never looked so good. I stripped off my dress and heels and got into my pajamas as fast as I could. I was really too lazy to brush my teeth but I did wash my face with water to get rid of the makeup.

Stumbling into the bed, I collapsed on top of it. I didn't even get underneath the covers before I fell asleep.

--

I stood in a pitch-black room. Just like those interrogation movies where all you can see is a light in your face. Except, instead of a lamp head being jammed in my face, I stood in a single red hoop of light that rotated around me.

I looked around. It was dark as far as the eye could see.

But there was one other ring in this hellhole.

And inside it was Tasha.

My muscles immediately tensed.

"Relax, Rose," she said tiredly. Her blood red eyes were tired.

"When you said that you would contact me, I didn't expect you to stalk my dreams," I stated.

Tasha smirked. "You expect me to show up at Court? I'm not stupid, Rose."

"Yah, but how can you even be here?" I demanded. "You aren't exactly magic-able."

"Strigoi are changing," Tasha answered. Her voice carried just as easily though. Like ice. "You must've noticed it by now." Somehow I knew she was talking about Dimitri's sun resistance.

I frowned. "How do you know I'm at Court?" I wish I had my stake. It wouldn't do much, but having it would've been a major comfort.

"I know everything," she said sarcastically. "Now, where'd we leave off last time we spoke?"

"You sound like my therapist," I muttered, being reminded of Deidre's tranquil, offbeat questions. "You were going to tell me where Dashkov is."

"I do remember saying that…if you agreed to be my ally."

"Yah. Well I haven't killed you yet. Does that answer your question?" I asked curtly.

"For now." We didn't move from our respective rings. Something told me the dream would end if I did.

"So, where is Victor?" I prompted.

"Work on your bluntness, Rose," Tasha said flatly. Her mood was not nearly as playful as it was back on the mountain. "I'm here only to help you."

"Then help and tell."

"Fine," Tasha said simply. She shrugged like it was a simple question. "Victor is in California."

Of all places…"California?" I repeated.

Tasha nodded.

"The Golden State? Where it's sunny _all_ the time?" I couldn't believe our luck, or lack thereof. It'd be near impossible to go anywhere when the entirety of my party lost all of their strength in the sunlight.

"It's a perfect place to hide a criminal," Tasha explained. "Victor is being kept in a magicked seal that prevents him from dying. You'll see when you get there."

"Okay, where is he _exactly_," I asked impatiently.

"You're so impatient," Tasha exclaimed. "He's in the Moroi detention facility in the San Francisco foothills."

"San Francisco," I mused. It wasn't supposed to be that sunny, right? But it _was_ spring…shit. Why California?

Tasha clucked her tongue. "Be careful, Rose. Dimka is right on your tail."

"How do you know that?" I demanded.

"Because at the moment, I've been working with him in creating. It's a 24/7 process," Tasha said flatly.

"Creating?"

Tasha gave me a mischievous wink. "Creating an army."

My heart skipped a beat. A cold tremor ran up my spine. "Excuse me?"

Tasha sighed. "Don't make me repeat myself Rose." She ran her hand over her clothes—I saw she was wearing a thick, down jacket and jeans. Was she somewhere cold? "I thought telling you might change your mind about our alliance. But trust me, my participation is purely for the sake of keeping up my cover."

"But you're changing people to Strigoi!" I shouted.

"Yes, but I'm also warning you about them. Dimitri is planning something big. I thought I'd tell you beforehand. What you do with the information is up to you."

"What does he plan to do with them?" I asked.

"Even I don't know," Tasha admitted. "He doesn't tell me much. I know he keeps things from me."

"Why are you even with him?" I grumbled. "It's not like you're his girlfriend."

Tasha laughed, but it seemed sadder than usual. The sharpness of her Strigoi voice sounded duller than it was back in the forest. "Well he believes I owe him," she reckoned.

"For what?" I asked.

"For turning me into a Strigoi."

My eyes widened. Dimitri had made it clear to me in Russia that he felt no shame about his awakened self, but for some reason, I had it in my head that he wasn't in the position to turn people. But if Tasha was telling the truth (and I had a feeling she was)…was Dimitri worth saving anymore?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Tasha step out of the ring. It all happened quickly after that. My own red ring began to shake emit sharp bursts of light. Out of instinct, I jumped out of my own circle. As soon as I left it, the ring burst into a shower of red sparks.

"Tasha!" I yelled, my heart racing.

"Next time we meet, it will be as enemies. But I am on your side, Rose," Tasha said. "Remember. California." She was gone now; her voice echoing inside the dark room

And then, the world seemed to collapse. It was like I was knocked out inside my own dream.

I woke up, panting. My chest hurt like someone had been sitting on me. The sun was still up. I could see small bits of sunshine peek through the thick curtains. I groaned. Somehow, I knew I wasn't going to be getting any sleep for a while.

**[[A/N: This was a long chapter. I felt I couldn't just shorten Adrian and Rose's date. No way! It's an important scene. And I enjoyed making Rose a little more vulnerable than she usually is. And yes, I am going off an outline for right now. I'm introducing a lot of problems into the story so I kind of have to use it. And accordingly, my next chapter will be a little shorter, so hopefully this makes up for it.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Comment please!]]**


	14. Kissed

**[[A/N: I have nothing to say at the moment. Ummm…so. How about that weather? Oh yah. And I stepped on my index finger (unfortunate shoe accident) and now I can't type very well, so if you see any typos please forgive me.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: This is a pivotal yet blah blah chapter. There is the meeting with the Queen and a little surprise tossed in to keep it lively.]]**

--

"Go on in," Adrian told Lissa and me. "Christian and I will go find some blood packs that we can store in our backpacks. We will meet you guys at the plane."

I let them go reluctantly. If anything, I should be the one on the errands. I absolutely detested the Queen Bitch and was dreading even meeting her.

As we entered the meeting room, I noticed out of the corner of my eye the great amount of Guardians posted around the room, hiding within the shadows of the tapestried wall.

The Queen looked older. Considering she was already fairly old in Moroi terms, the fact that she even sat up straight made me a little impressed.

Her condescending air was stifling. It was like she was putting me down with her mind the instant I stepped into the meeting room.

We all sat around a large, oval table. Our backpacks were packed and leaning against the wall. If we managed to convince her to let us go, we would be on a plane to California in the next few hours.

"Vasilisa, I'd like to extend my congratulations to you on graduating," the Queen said stiffly. "And I'd also like to repeat my offer. You can stay at Court and learn here."

Lissa smiled but shook her head. "Before settling down, I really would like to experience the world for a semester. After that, I'd be happy to reconsider your offer." Diplomatic as ever.

The Queen's icy stare darted to me. No doubt she believed her perfect royal pawn was being manipulated by me, the blood whore knight.

"Rosemarie Hathaway, I hear you passed your Guardian exam with flying colors."

I could hear a taunt in that.

"It's true, I passed," I conceded. "But I was far from perfect in my scores."

Queen Tatiana remained impassive. "Yes, but the Council has deemed you worthy of being charged with Princess Vasilisa's care."

"Yes."

"And here you are, about to guard her and two other royals on a trip around the world," the Queen remarked, her tone sharp.

"I would not say around the world," I replied curtly. "We're only going to California."

"So Princess Vasilisa has told me," the Queen Bitch interrupted. "But I have yet to know. Do you have a second Guardian with you?"

I was prepared for this. Hopefully, Lissa wouldn't mess up my well-practiced lie. I knew she would beat me up for this later, but at the moment, I was only concerned about getting out of the hellish Court.

"Gregory Waters is my backup," I said smoothly. "He will be meeting us at the tarmac."

I could see Lissa look at me sharply. She knew I was lying out of my teeth, but she also knew how desperate I was. Thankfully for me, she all kept her mouths shut.

Queen Tatiana seemed to know something was up, but she let it slide. "Alright, I'll allow you to leave to California. But I need confirmation that Gregory is in your group before you leave the ground."

I nodded.

"You are dismissed."

I sped out of the room with Lissa on my heels.

As soon as I was sure we were out of the earshot of anyone in the meeting room, I fell to my knees and groaned. "Damn her," I cursed.

"At least we got her permission to leave," Lissa said brightly.

"With _Gregory_ in our group. How am I supposed to fake Gregory's voice? It's like he swallowed a rubber duck when he was little!"

Lissa laughed. "We'll think of something. But right now, we need to get to the tarmac."

--

Just for the purpose of the Moroi Court that summer, a landing strip had been built for the incoming and outgoing planes holding important royals. Adrian, being the Queen's great-nephew or whatever, counted as one of those important royals and had been granted access to a private jet.

The tarmac reflected hot sunlight into my face as Lissa and I crossed the asphalt to the slick, white jet.

Adrian sat on the steps leading into the enticingly, cool interior.

"We got a month's worth of blood," Adrian reported. "But they'll need refrigeration when we land."

I nodded. "We'll rent a hotel room for a long-term deal and store the stuff in a mini bar or something."

Adrian nodded and walked up the steps into the inside of the plane. I could hear him talking to Christian. Lissa swept past me, eager to see her boyfriend.

I sighed. I looked at my watch. We had ten minutes before take off was scheduled. If we didn't call Queen Tatiana before them with confirmation that Gregory was in our party, we'd be screwed.

I sat dejectedly on the stairs, trying to piece together a solution to tricking the Queen.

I was about to get up and go back inside the plane when I saw someone running towards me. It was a guy with a large, yellow backpack. His gait was so familiar. I squinted, trying to get a better look at him.

"Rose, wait!" he shouted.

I recognized the annoying, soft guy voice.

"Gregory?" I asked. My breath caught. I was so happy. He had shown up after all!

Now I wasn't going to fling myself into his arms – I'd had enough of the cliché movie scenes for the moment. But when he got within my arms' reach, I pulled him into a deep hug.

It was brief, but I felt him hug me back.

I let go, grinning. "You came."

"Yah, about that. I'm so sorry," Gregory apologized sheepishly. "I—"

"No time for apologies," I said sharply. "We have to get off the ground. And you have to call Queen Tatiana."

Gregory looked at me questioningly. "Huh?"

"I'll explain later. Just call her."

He nodded and we both ran up the stairs. My legs felt suddenly energized. I felt sudden relief and happiness that Gregory was beside me.

As we entered the cabin, I saw everyone's face turn to surprise.

"Gregory, you came after all!" Lissa exclaimed, swiveling around in her spinning, leather recliner.

"I'm sorry I made you guys doubt me," Gregory said. "It won't happen again."

I handed him the jet's phone. "Call," I ordered.

Gregory saluted.

I laughed. I knocked on the captain's door. "Take-off time," I said through the door.

"Yes, Guardian Hathaway."

I felt the plane jerk as the brakes were released. We began to move away from the airport, heading off towards the runway.

I exhaled deeply. It was finally time to find Victor. If I got caught, I would be screwed. And so would Gregory.

Gregory took a quiet seat in the back of the plane, secluded from the rest of us so he could talk privately.

I sat down next to Adrian, who had taken residency on the couch. A bottle of white liquid was in his hand.

"Do I want to know?" I asked tiredly.

"I'm being a safe citizen," he said proudly. "Smoking on the aircraft is strictly prohibited."

"Nice save."

"Speaking of which. It's a good thing Gregory came."

I nodded. "I don't know what I'd do if he hadn't." I stretched me legs out onto the plush, leather footrest in front of me. The jet began to pick up speed. I gripped onto the armrest. We probably weren't following all flight regulations by sitting on a couch during lift off, but hey. No one is perfect.

"Little dhampir," Adrian began. His voice was hesitant.

I knew where this conversation was heading, even before it started.

"Adrian, I told you, that there is nothing between us.

"So you say," he murmured. "But I saw the way he looked at you."

"Let me guess. He had the eyes of a guy in loooove," I teased. I glanced over at Greg. He was biting his lip awkwardly. He kept opening is mouth and closing it. It was like the person on the other line couldn't keep his mouth shut. If he was talking to the Queen Bitch, I wasn't surprised he couldn't get a word in.

"His aura was pink. And I could've sworn so was yours."

I froze. I remembered what Adrian had told me before. Pink aura meant love. It was like that was the universal color of attraction.

"This is beginning to sound like you're giving me the sex talk," I noted quietly, not trying to catch Lissa and Adrian's attention. They were sitting across from each other at a table, playing a game of cards.

Adrian shook the bottle of liquor, or whatever it was. "Why do you think I'm drinking right now?" he asked caustically. "It takes the edge off the embarrassment."

"I don't love him," I hissed fervently.

Adrian's mood seemed less friendly now. "Well I can't say that's a lie right now, can I?" He took a swig of his drink. It actually smelled fairly good; fruity but with a pinch of lemon.

I groaned, sitting up straight. I looked into his eyes. "Adrian, frankly, I don't think you'd stop chasing me even if I did like Gregory."

I could see Adrian look surprised and then resigned. "That's very true."

"It's good we had this talk," I said bitterly, suddenly not feeling up to talking to Adrian.

I got up and sat down in row of seats across the plane.

I slid the window open and looked out. The dark, nighttime clouds swirled around the plane and off into the horizon. The moon was beginning its long, steady arc across the starry sky.

"Can I sit here?"

I looked up. Gregory must've been done with his phone. I waved him a seat and he sat down. In the one right next to mine. If I weren't so paranoid from my talk with Adrian, I would've seen it as a move of friendship. Now I kept thinking he was going to hit on me. _Thanks, Adrian. You're the best. _

"About what happened at school," Gregory began.

"Don't." I said sharply. "What happened there was stupid. But you're here and that's all that matters."

"It seems I am pretty important here. The Queen seemed rather shocked to hear me on the phone."

I grinned. "I admit. We would've been screwed if you hadn't shown up. But I'm not saying thank you."

"No need to," Gregory said. He twisted in his chair so he could face me.

I felt myself lean forward, as if responding to his movements.

"I was an ass," Gregory admitted. "I felt…like you were betraying me."

"How?"

"Faking your feelings."

I bit my lip. "What feelings." _God, maybe Adrian was right. _

"I though you might've…reciprocated _my_ feelings. I like you Rose." _Adrian's never going to let me forget this._

I was speechless. Gregory looked down at his hands nervously.

"I—"I started to say, but I found myself at a loss of words.

"I really like you Rose," Gregory repeated.

I glanced over to Adrian. He was asleep on the couch. At the table, Lissa and Christian looked plenty occupied…making out.

"What do you want me to say?" I asked quietly.

"Tell me if you like me too."

Why was it that all of the sudden, every guy I met wanted to know if I liked him romantically. And no, I was not being arrogant or selfish. It was true. Adrian asked the same thing!

"Greg," I murmured. My mind was buzzing. Did I like him? Did I not like him? Did I hate him? What were my feelings for the boy? What was going on?

"Answer the question. Please."

"Wait, I need to think."

"Don't."

"Quiet. Let me think about this first."

"Answer it. Now."

"Why?"

Greg looked at me carefully. "If you don't think about it and just answer, it's your heart that's answering and not your head."

"That's deep."

"Please. Just say yes or no."

I sighed. I didn't think about it. I just said: "Yes."

Gregory's face lit up. He grabbed my hands and pulled me towards him.

Before I knew it, my face met his, our lips touching.

I began to pull away, but Gregory's grip on my hands was firm. His lips were soft and slow, not forcing me into it. And I found myself liking it, forgetting everything else on the plane except him. My heart beat faster, pumping blood to my face. I felt hot and fuzzy. This reminded me so much of Dimitri's kiss, but I could barely remember it. Gregory was so gentle and honestly, a little awkward as he kissed me. His kiss reflected him as a person. And I liked it.

And then he let me go.

"Sorry, that was impulsive," Gregory apologized, his pale face red with embarrassment.

I leaned back against my seat, a little bewildered. "No," I said slowly. "It's fine."

We sat there silently for a minute. We just stared at each other. I didn't think about much, really. I felt so alive with energy.

"Rose?" Lissa asked, suddenly standing in front of me.

"Huh?" I asked, surprised. "What?" I felt disoriented.

"We're about to land."

We were already in California? I glanced out the windows. It was completely dark outside, but I could see the city of San Francisco blaze beneath the plane in a shower of colorful lights. "So we are," I said, getting up from the chair stiffly.

I glanced at Gregory. He seemed to barely register my movements, looking lost in deep thought.

_I seriously hope I don't regret this later_, I wished, moving to go wake up Adrian.

"Hey, wake up," I said, shaking his limp body.

He grumbled a reply, rolling over.

"Whoa!" I caught him before he fell off the couch. "Get up before I make you."

"I'd like that," he said coherently, sitting up. He stretched a little before looking completely alert. Night was his natural setting.

"Funny. You're funny," I said sarcastically. "Now get ready. We're going to land soon."

"San Francisco, huh?" Adrian murmured. He grinned crookedly. "I heard the Golden Gate is a romantic hotspot."

I smiled thinly. Somehow, I couldn't bring myself to respond to that. He didn't know that just a couple feet away from him, I'd betrayed his trust and kissed Gregory. In no way was I a slut, but I certainly felt like one.

**[[A/N: Yay! Finally a hookup, although I'm pretty sure that some people will be a little happier that I chose Gregory than others. I just got a little tired with all this RosexAdrian fanfiction. Time for a new character to step up!]]**


	15. Out in San Francisco

**[[A/N: Yah, I'm trying to get my chapters out sooner. The outline I made really helps organize my thoughts, but I probably won't make a habit out of it.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Why do I write fanfiction when I'm supposed to be studying for my physics test? Damn procrastination.]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: So the first half of this chapter will be from Rose's POV and then the second half will be from a 3****rd**** person's POV and it will focus on Dimitri. Yay!]]**

--

Adrian managed to get a rental car to drive us to a small, comfortable hotel at the heart of San Francisco. There were five of us—five grown teenagers—so it was a tight squeeze into the compact Honda Accord that we got.

Driving through the city, I kept glancing out the window. We were in the real world. There were real threats. I had to keep reminding myself that I was a Guardian. My teachers weren't going to be the ones popping out around corners to "attack" me, real Strigoi were.

I sat awkwardly in the front seat. Adrian seemed too close for comfort. And I knew by the way he was looking at me, he was extra-aware of my presence as well.

"Look, we're here." We pulled up to a three-story Holiday Inn.

We all unloaded. Gregory had a hold of the cooler.

We walked into the hotel. The lobby was completely empty, which was better for us in the long run. Granted that it was about 2 in the morning, I wasn't surprised. A night manager sat boredly at the desk. When he saw us enter, he immediately straightened up.

"Welcome," he said graciously.

I smiled and walked up to the desk. The others waited behind me, looking excited and nervous at the same time. "Thanks. We're checking in."

The manager nodded. "Name?"

"It should be under Jones," I said casually, leaning against the counter. When I was making the reservation at the airport, I had decided to use a fake name. I didn't want anyone to know where we were staying.

"Rosemarie Jones?" the manager asked, typing rapidly on the keyboard.

"That's right."

"Alright, can I see your credit card and ID please?"

I was prepared for this too. I didn't have a fake driver's license or a credit card, but I had the next best thing. I waved for Adrian to come over here.

"Pardon me, but my husband was the one who booked the hotel room. He's just using my name," I said, patting his chest. I looked up at him and gave him a strained look.

Adrian looked a little taken aback but he nodded. He dug through his back pocket and pulled out a golden credit card.

"Sir, can I see you ID?" the manager asked politely.

Adrian gave me a dark glance but handed over his ID as well. _Sorry, Adrian_, I thought. _I'm draining your piggy bank again. _

The manager typed a few keys and gave them back. "You'll be in room 218." He gave me a paper slip with two card keys.

My mind immediately began to process what that meant. It was the second floor. That meant the only exits were the elevator (out of the question in high speed escapes) and the stairs at the end of each hallway. Possibly the windows. I'd have to see if there were bushes below us.

Adrian and I thanked the man and motioned for the others to follow us to the elevator.

"Room 218," I told Gregory as we all piled into the cramped elevator. "Got any good security ideas?"

"It's a chain hotel. Security is the least of my worries," Gregory muttered.

"Relax," Christian said calmly. "Rose has got an automatic Strigoi detector."

Gregory gave me a shocked look. "What?"

"It's just one of the awesome things about me," I said simply. The elevator dinged, opening up to the second floor.

We all proceeded quietly to the room. The air seemed to crackle as we neared the door. My stomach didn't tell me that any Strigoi were around, but I was still on my toes.

I motioned for Gregory to wait outside as I slipped the cardkey into the door. I creaked open the door and slid in. My hand had whipped out the stake in my belt, keeping it out in front of me in a defensive stance.

The room was pretty average. I checked the closet. Empty. I slid my hand around the bathroom door and peered in. No Strigoi there. Feeling a little more assured, I crept into the main part of the room. The lights were off, but the blinding lights of the inner city of San Francisco provided just enough light for me to know that the room was empty.

"Come in," I said, taking off my backpack.

One by one, my friends filed in. Gregory's face had gone white again. I hoped that he'd get use to the stress later. But then again, he looked exactly the same during the Breaker and had done just fine.

Adrian immediately moved to the sofa and stretched out on it. "This is great," he said. I couldn't tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but I still felt a bit annoyed.

"We aren't staying," I told him flatly. "This is only temporary to store the blood packs." I gestured towards Gregory who was unloading the red bags into the mini bar.

"Won't they scare the maids?" Lissa wondered.

"Nah, all real businessmen have bags of blood in their mini bars," Christian said mischievously.

"Funny," I said bluntly. I moved to the window and sat down on the edge of the couch. Looking out, I could see the pool right under us. So that took out window exits.

Adrian playfully rubbed his foot against my thigh. I laughed shortly, grabbing his ankle and rolling him off the couch. I glanced towards Gregory. He was peering out the peephole edgily. My stomach twisted – not that there were Strigoi near, but that I was toying with two guys.

"Aren't you supposed to be protecting me?" he complained. "Not flipping me over the couch."

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you," I retorted. _Hopefully. _

--

**[[A/N: This is the Dimitri part btw.]]**

Dimitri paced back and forth in his loft. The place was sparsely furnished – a couch was in the corner, next to a couple of chairs, a table, and a couple of lamps.

"You say they are going to find Victor Dashkov?" Dimitri asked.

"That's right. They're currently in San Francisco," Tasha reported, gliding towards him with a catlike grace.

"Do you know why?" Dimitri asked, his voice quiet.

Tasha paused. She actually didn't know that. She knew that Rose's group was attempting to break out Victor but for what purpose, she was still clueless.

Dimitri took her silence as a no. He bit his lip. "Victor Dashkov is a dead man. Or he is close to being one. He won't be in any condition to help." He walked over to the table and spread out the already mussed up pile of papers. Tiny, size-nine font speckled all the pages, but the words were plenty large for his enhanced eyesight.

"You know where he is," Tasha assumed, moving to his back. She coyly draped her arms over his shoulders.

"Of course," Dimitri growled, not moving away. "They trusted me enough with that."

"You mean the Council," Tasha continued, letting her words roll out as smoothly as possible. She moved her arms down his biceps and around his waist.

"Yes."

"Won't you tell me?" Tasha asked innocently. She buried her face into his back.

Dimitri suddenly pulled away and turned towards Tasha, his eyes aflame. "What the hell are you doing?" he snarled, grabbing her arms tightly.

Tasha staggered back but felt herself trapped in his grip. "Nothing," she protested, shocked to see the pure rage in her old friend's bloody eyes. Dimitri was stronger than her, both in Strigoi age and because he had been a dhampir before awakening.

A moment passed. But finally, Dimitri let Tasha go. "I'll kill you next time you try something like that," he snapped.

Tasha shook her head, letting her fear evaporate just as quickly as it had come. "You won't kill me," she whispered. "I'm to valuable."

Dimitri snorted, but in truth, Tasha was right. Dimitri viewed her as an item…albeit one with value. Tasha knew this. She had connections; strong ones that couldn't be broken even if she was a Strigoi.

"Why would they go break out Dashkov?" Dimitri mused. "Especially if Lissa is going along."

"What are you going to do?" Tasha asked, sitting on the table.

Dimitri shrugged. He turned to the person sitting in the dark shadows in the corner of the room, covered by a dark blanket. The person was completely unnoticeable, keeping as quiet and as small as possible. In front of him/her was a bowl of water.

"What do you think they are up to?" Dimitri asked coldly.

The person shrugged but remained silent.

"Look!" Dimitri ordered.

The person flinched and hunched over the water. He/She gripped the rim of the bowl.

"I see…a man," the person whispered. He was a male, by the sound of his voice.

"What is his name?" Tasha whispered.

"Do—Do—Doru," the man stuttered. He gasped and pulled away from the bowl.

"Doru?" Tasha murmured, trying to fit the name to anyone she knew.

"Robert Doru," Dimitri stated firmly. He groaned.

"Robert Doru, as in the crazy Moroi?" Tasha repeated. She'd met Doru once on one of her trips – he was a weird man, somewhat crazed in the head.

"That's him." Dimitri moved towards the window. As he passed, the man in the corner shrunk even further into a ball, burying his face into his arms.

"What does he have to do with Victor?" Tasha scowled, feeling impatient with all the clues.

"Victor is Doru's brother…illegitimately. Not many among the vampire society know. But it created a huge scandal among the Guardians… Victor wanted Doru protected," Dimitri explained, but he looked just as lost. "That doesn't say much though. Why is Rose looking for Doru?" He laughed deeply. "I guess I'll just need to find out myself."

Tasha smiled. "Are we going to California."

"I guess so." Dimitri looked down at the desk. The papers…they were all about Rose. Her files. Her school reports. Her statistics. Everything. He had it all. Finally, he was going to kill Rose. He rubbed his chest, right over the scar that marked the spot he'd been stabbed.

"What are you thinking?" Tasha asked suspiciously.

"Love…death," Dimitri muttered. _Rose. _

**[[A/N: I hope you liked this chapter! As always, I urge you to read and review. I like finding my inbox full of Review Alerts :D. Hmm…what will next chapter hold? Personally, I think Abe needs to show up. I'll see if I can fit that in somewhere.]]**


	16. Zmey Knocking

**[[A/N: Here I am…bored to tears. I got a huge bruise on my hand from swim practice today so I'm having a little trouble typing…again. It's the curse of fanfiction!!!]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: As promised, I've included a little part with Abe…or a big part. **

--

Gregory hissed at me from by the door. "Rose, wake up."

I was off the couch in a second, my stake in my hand. It felt warm in my hand, which immediately comforted me. "What is it?" I asked warily, looking around. Sunlight glinted through the bottom of the thick curtains that we'd drawn over the window. The clock on the bed stand read 2:18 p.m. Lissa was sleeping soundly in her own bed, with Christian and Adrian drooling messily onto their own pillows.

"What's the code for a Moroi who looks like he's some kind of drug dealer?" Greg asked tentatively.

"What?" I asked, still half-asleep. "A _Moroi_ is outside?"

He blinked yes. Apparently he was also half asleep.

A light bulb went off, albeit slowly and flickering at first, in my head. _Drug dealer…mob boss? _My eyes narrowed. "He wouldn't happen to be wearing a colored scarf, would he?"

Gregory blinked in surprise. "Well…yah. He is."

"Great. Just great," I muttered. I walked swiftly over to the door and looked through the peephole. And on the other side of the door was my father.

_God, why is _he _here. Of all the people that could've shown up at our door, it has to be Abe?_ I groaned.

I looked at Gregory sharply. "Stay in here." I patted my jean pocket. Good, the card key was still there.

"Wait no!" Gregory protested, keeping his voice low. "I'm not letting you out there alone with him."

"Trust me," I assured him. "This guy won't hurt me."

"And why is that?" Gregory demanded.

I shrugged. "Blood ties," I suggested vaguely before slipping out the door.

The hallway was eerily silent. And as I exited the room, I nearly walked straight into my own father.

"Back up," I snapped irritably.

Abe gave me a stoic look. "Good afternoon, Rose."

"_Dad_, it's been too long," I said sarcastically, leaning on the door. I made sure to cover the exit of the peephole with my head. I could just imagine Gregory seething behind the door, but I knew he wouldn't interfere.

"So it has," Abe murmured, studying me. "I see you've passed your exam." He looked at my hand, specifically at my right ring finger. "That's a beautiful ring."

"Mom gave it to me as a graduation present," I replied coolly, feeling defensive.

Abe chuckled. "And I gave it to her when she graduated."

My eyes widened in shock. "You knew her when she was in school?"

My father looked a little taken aback but his mask of calm quickly returned. "Of course. I didn't think she would last a week out of the Academy's gates, but apparently Hathaway have genetic tenacity to survive."

"Are you really surprised?" I retorted. "I can handle myself."

"So you've told me," he replied smoothly.

"Abe, what do you want?" I asked tiredly, rubbing my temples. "I'm tired and having heart palpitations."

"Oh?"

I glared at him. "I'm kind of on edge here if you haven't noticed." I patted the door behind me. "And my partner gave me a heart attack when he woke me up. And no, it's not me. It's you."

Abe smiled thinly, but I could tell he was pretty tired himself. It was still completely daylight outside and even being awake was taxing.

"You made it to San Francisco so I'm assuming you found out where Victor Dashkov is being held," Abe said.

I shifted my weight tiredly. "Yes, no thanks to you."

"I'm not being held responsible if you get yourself thrown in jail," Abe said innocently. "Especially when your mother comes asking questions."

Did I see some fear in Abe's eyes? No way could the all might Zmey be afraid of Janine Hathaway. No way.

Which reminded me. "Where are your thug Guardians?" I asked.

"In the lobby," Abe said. "I said I needed to visit a friend. Seeing all the trouble you went through hiding out, I guessed you wanted discretion above all else."

I snorted, a little pissed about Abe's assumption—although it was dead on.

"Back to topic," I snapped. "You know where Victor's exact location is, right?"

Abe nodded, not willing to answer without being asked.

"Well, are you going to tell me?"

Abe shook his head but he leaned down towards me. Considering my size was more towards my mother's short side, I felt rather diminutive in his shadow.

"Take it," he whispered dangerously. I felt his large hands wrap a piece of paper into my palm.

I looked down and then back up, my eyes asking all the questions.

"Don't tell your mother," Abe said abashed.

I laughed. "Of all the things you're scared of, it's Janine Hathaway."

"You don't know her like I do," Abe said curtly.

My eyebrow rose. "She said the same thing about you."

Abe's stoicism came back, letting me know he wasn't going to be the one continuing the topic. But my curiosity was piqued. What the hell had happened between Janine and Abe?

"So now what?" I mused. "You obviously have....secrets that I really wish I didn't know you had." I paused for emphasis. Abe shifted in his long coat. "And I need to get another hour of sleep before even considering getting ready to leave."

Abe stepped forward and automatically I took a step back. Except I was standing with my back to the door. So I couldn't move.

He laughed deeply and patted my shoulder. My mouth hung open. _The _Zmey was _patting_ my shoulder.

"Is this some 'don't die or I'll break your knee-caps' thing?" I asked suspiciously.

Abe shook his head. "It's a 'don't die because I said so' thing."

"Since when do you pull the parent card?" I demanded.

"Until later, Rose," he told me, a tinge of kindness in his voice, and walked away. And as he turned the corner to the elevator, all I could see was the warm green scarf that was wrapped around his neck.

I breathed a sigh of relief and stepped away from the door. As soon as I did, it swung open wildly. A pale-faced Gregory grabbed my wrist, yanked me into the room, and closed the door violently.

"Don't ever scare me like that. Ever. Again," he warned. He pulled me into his arms. It was like being pulled into a puffy blanket with muscles. With our chests touching (and yes, I found it awkward yet comforting), I could feel his heart pounding rapidly. I smiled and hugged him back. I breathed in. Gregory's scent was papery…like the smell of old libraries. It was cozy.

I pulled away suddenly. "Are they still asleep?" I whispered, peering around him to the beds. All three bodies were in the same places. I exhaled, letting some of the pent up anxiety out of my muscles.

"Apparently, they can sleep through things like this," Gregory stated. "I can't."

I gave him an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Greg," I said sincerely. "I just needed some privacy with Abe."

"So that's his name. Abe."

"Yah…he's...a guy I know from Russia."

Gregory looked at me expectantly, but I was taking a clue from my father's book. "You ask and I'll answer, but I won't say anything unless you ask for it specifically," I told him.

His face in response was classic. "W-W-What? That's not fair!" he protested. "You have to give me answers."

I laughed and pointed to the peephole. "Shuttup and be quiet. You haven't made a dent in Lissa's file." I had written up a brief summary of Lissa, Christian, and Adrian's abilities for Gregory to review and hopefully incorporate into our plan.

Gregory groaned and returned to his place by the door. He picked up a black folder o the floor and began to flip through the pages lazily, alternating between reading and glancing out to look at the hallway. I laughed and walked back to the couch.

I wasn't surprised that Abe had found me. He was the leader of the Moroi underground, or so I liked to think. But if he knew where I was, then who else did? If anything, Tasha Ozera had just as many contacts as he did…and _she_ wasn't on my side anymore.

I prayed to God (figuratively) that she wouldn't do anything too drastic to keep Dimitri's trust…and then, collapsing on the couch, I felt myself drift to sleep. In my hands, my silver stake felt strangely icy in my palms.

--

That night we headed off to Victor's location. Abe's message told me that the detention facility was located on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge, somewhere around the hills of Marin County.

Gregory and I loaded the car with the backpacks while Adrian, Lissa, and Christian had their bloody breakfast.

They came down, looking slightly nervous.

I frowned. "You guys aren't having second thoughts are you?"

Christian snorted, but his face betrayed him. Gregory got in the backseat with Christian in the middle and Lissa behind my seat. Christian was too tall for the middle seat—his knees bent awkwardly to fit.

I laughed. "Real macho, Christian."

I slid into the driver's seat, plugging the car keys into the ignition.

"Do you even have a license?" Adrian asked hesitantly, sitting down in shotgun.

I shrugged. "I know how to drive, if that's what you're asking."

"No, I'm asking if you have a _license._ As in a valid Montana state driver's license," Adrian stated flatly.

I buckled in my seat belt. "I know how to drive," I repeated sweetly. "Now buckle up." In the rear view mirror, I saw Lissa give Christian a nervous look. _Thanks for the confidence, Liss. _

--

Apparently, the detention center was really more of a wooden house. As we drove by the address, Gregory snapped pictures of the place on his camera. I kept driving, keeping a low profile on the car. The next exit came up half a mile away. I pulled off into a nearby Denny's parking lot.

"Let's see the pictures," I said, turning in my seat.

Gregory handed me the small digital camera. The pictures weren't all that good, but they were good enough for me to see the place wasn't that special. It was a small, three roomed house built into a niche in the hillside. A small dusty road and metal gate led up to the front door. But I could see, just above the white, creaky doorframe was a laser camera that tracked movement. I had a feeling that there were more security measures set up elsewhere.

"How are we going to do this?" Lissa asked. She looked a little frustrated. I sympathized with her. Breaking out your biggest enemy _right_ after graduating was probably not the best way to celebrate.

"One sec," I said. I unlocked the trunk and hopped out the car. I went over to my backpack in the trunk and pulled out a plastic bag. Slamming the trunk closed, I proceeded back to my seat. The weather was fairly warm for a night by the Bay, which was good and bad at the same time.

As I closed the door, Christian (who sat right behind me) leaned forward to see what I had brought.

"Back up," I ordered, untying the lose knot that I'd tied to keep it closed.

"Those aren't—" Adrian protested.

"Just hats and sunglasses," I said simply. "Unless you want the ski mask. I bought a couple back in Montana…just in case."

The car was silent.

I groaned. "You guys weren't just expecting to walk in there, right? What we're about to do is _illegal_. And no way do I want to end up in jail."

Lissa broke the silence first. "Give me a set," she said quietly. I could tell she was battling with this whole situation in the first place.

I handed her a navy blue beanie and pair of large, glossy black sunglasses. She quickly tucked her hair into the beanie and slipped on the sunglasses.

"How do I look?" she asked shyly, tucking a loose strand of blond hair into her hat.

"Like a drugstore robber," I said truthfully. "Which is good."

And like that, we all grabbed a hat and sunglasses. I ended up with an white 'San Francisco' baseball cap and tan aviators, Christian was in a greenish-blue lid with round white lenses, and Gregory and Adrian wore matching black beanies with matching square sunglasses.

"Do I look handsome?" Adrian teased, waggling his eyebrows. They rose high into his cap, making him look hairless.

I laughed awkwardly, (I seriously wanted to laugh hard) but I avoided answering directly. I could tell Adrian seemed a little surprised at my coldness, but I really didn't have a choice. How could I tell him about Gregory and I? Was there even a "Gregory and I" to begin with? My partner hadn't exactly made a move since the plane ride.

I used my iPod Touch's geographic map to look at the area surrounding the facility. It looked like it was located just under the peak of the large hill. So that meant the security would be tightest at the back of the hill where there was more chance of attack. So. What was the best plan?

"I suggest we walk straight up to the door," Gregory said suddenly, leaning over to look at my screen.

"You think?" I asked sincerely.

He unbuckled his seatbelt and leaned over across Christian's lap. Muttering an apology, he indicated the turnoff to the facility with his finger.

"The road itself is too narrow to turn around in. Plus, there was a sign for the rest stop a few exits back. We could just pretend to be lost. Once we get in, we'll just dispatch the Guardians and get in." He leaned back, a smug smile on his silly face. I snorted, wanting to smack him. But I was too busy trying to hold back laughter.

On the other hand, his explanation seemed pretty reasonable. Except for one part, which Lissa recognized pretty quickly.

"But they're still Guardians," Lissa pointed out. "And you guys are just starting out. There is no way you guys can beat them in a fight."

To my surprise, my partner had this covered as well. "That's what I was thinking about. And to tell you the truth, I was pretty worried even getting them to let us in. Dhampir and Moroi can recognize each other pretty easily." He paused, took a breath, and continued. "So we need Lissa and Adrian to use compulsion on them so we can knock them out."

Adrian smiled, his eyes flashing as the wheels in his brain began to spin. I could tell he was eager to try out his mass compulsion. I knew he hadn't been slacking off in his training either. I wondered how strong two Spirit users were with combined powers.

"Bravo," I admitted to Gregory, looking over the iPod map again. But now it was my turn to get nervous. I had to keep telling myself. _It's going to work. It's going to work. It's going to work. _

**[[A/N: Well, next chapter we get to see Victor. For sure. Honesty, I'm getting tired of postponing everything. Comment please! It'll only take a second of your time!]]**


	17. Tea Party with Victor

**[[A/N: Hi peoples! So guess what?! I've created a blog site. I'm going to use it for posting updates on my stories and such. The URL is in my profile but basically its lockedkey at the blogspot website. Check it out!]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: So here we are. We left off with Rose and co. going to break out Victor Dashkov. Let's see where this takes us.]]**

**--**

We drove the car down the dirt path towards the metal-gated house at the house.

"So, are we clear on the plan?" Gregory asked everyone, settling the cap over his reddish, brown hair. He had switched to the front seat with Adrian taking the backseat. As Adrian reluctantly moved to sit with Lissa and Christian, I felt the irony and awkwardness of the situation tug at my stomach yet again. And still, I had seen no signs that Gregory wanted to pursue anything but friendship with me. And here I had enough to think about.

"Yah, we're good," Lissa reassured. "I'm just going to sit in the car with Adrian and we'll use compulsion on them while you kick their asses. I think the plan is pretty straightforward. Then, we follow Plan A, followed by Plan B if Plan A fails."

"And I do nothing," Christian mumbled.

We got up to the gate. I looked at everyone one last time behind my sunglasses.

"Gregory, let's go," I sighed. Dhampirs were recognizable by other Dhampir, but we weren't so different to humans compared to Moroi. I hoped to God that the baseball caps and glasses would minimize the difference.

Gregory and I walked up to the house together. I clasped his hand in mine and pulled him to my side. We were portraying a young, lost and frazzled couple. We had to make it believable. I smiled up at him warmly. "Sweetie, I hope they can tell us directions to the hotel," I commented cheesily.

He squeezed my hand. "Of course they will," he told me. His eyes flickered towards the camera. The lens tracked us as we neared the door.

I swallowed nervously as we got to the house. Gregory pulled me up the stairs and up to the white door. The house seemed like a normal little house. It was one storied with a nice patio with a rocker. Lacy curtains hung in the two, arched windows.

Gregory knocked firmly on the door. We waited. Every second that passed, I felt myself sweat another liter of water into my cap.

The door opened. A man in the doorway glared at us. Gregory and I took an automatic step back. Something about his presence didn't scream lace curtains to me.

"What do you want?" he growled. He stepped out the door and onto the patio. I got a good luck at him this time. His outfit of a baggy white beater and cargo pants screamed "man-who-just-got-dumped." I mean, he wasn't _ugly_. In fact, his body was muscular with perfectly tanned arms. I looked at his face.

Definitely a Dhampir. I could see it in his eyes and face. It wasn't hard to distinguish someone non-human, especially when you grow up around them.

Gregory answered immediately, not missing a beat. He was surprisingly good at keeping up his disguise. "My wife and I are getting so lost, man," he complained in a lazy teen accent, kissing my cheek. "We were wondering if you could help us find this place."

"Where are you heading?" the Dhampir asked. I let my eyes wander his body casually, letting it look like I was just an attracted girl. But I was really looking for any weapon. His pants were too saggy to have a stake in the waist, but I couldn't be sure. He definitely worked out. It was like his arms were air-puffed sausages or something. They were huge!

"It's this motel," I said, showing him a slip of paper with a fake address, "called the White Heart Motel. It's supposed to be right around here." I smiled as seductively as possible. Whatever helped, right? I had nothing to lose.

The guy chuckled disdainfully. "Young love, huh. How old are you guys anyway?"

"Old enough," I replied coyly. I let go of Gregory's hand only to wrap my arm around his waist.

The Dhampir sniffed. "Wait here. Let me get the telephone book," he grumbled. He turned back into the house, leaving the door wide open.

I leaned into Gregory and tucked my free hand into my pocket. Hopefully, Lissa and Adrian saw the signal from the car and would know to use compulsion as soon as the guy came back.

The Dhampir came back out with the thick Yellow Pages book.

"What's the name again?" he mumbled.

"White Heart Motel," I said slowly.

He began to thumb through the thin pages. His face was twisted into a scowl. _What a charming man_, I thought. _I won't mind beating him up a little._

And that's when I saw the man's muscles stiffen.

"What the—" the man yelled, dropping the book to the floor. It fell to a crash, rattling the floor.

"Now!" I shouted, kicking my foot out into the Dhampir's face. I felt his nose crunch under my foot. He stumbled back. I swiveled to look at the car. "RUN!"

"What the hell is all of this?" the Guardian demanded. "You guys are Dhampir!" It was a statement. I didn't give him an answer.

I heard the car doors open and close quickly. Lissa, Christian, and Adrian ran over behind us. Gregory pushed them in between him and me. Usually, I wouldn't even _consider _letting them come in. But this wasn't a mission behind enemy lines. The only ones that were in real danger of getting hurt were Gregory and I.

We left the Dhampir lying stunned in the doorway as we charged inside. The house was completely bare. The walls inside were torn down, leaving a bright, spacious room. A silver table was set up with a single Macbook and printer. In the corner of the room, there was a staircase leading downwards.

I began to move forward to scope the room, but then the reinforcements came. I had just about enough time to cuss under my breath before the three, armed Guardians charged at us.

"Hey, where's my compulsion?" I yelled, ducking a swinging punch from one of the attackers. But a swift kick caught me in the side. I yelped as the wind was knocked out of me. These guys were different than the teachers at the Academy. They were constantly under pressure with field experience. And they wouldn't hold back. I bit my lip and swung my leg out at the nearest one, aiming for his knee.

But just as my kick was about to hit the Guardian, I saw his eyes roll back into his head. He fell crumpled to the floor, knocked out. Like dominos, his partners fell just seconds after that. They were still awake, writing against unseen chains.

I felt hands grip my armpits and pull me up. I looked up. It was Gregory.

"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Do I look alright?" I asked angrily. I clutched my side, pressing it tenderly. Nothing felt broken, but it was a tough kick. I'd be bruised there later.

I shook my limbs a little. The Guardians were stretched out on the ground, looking at us crazily.

"What are you doing?" one demanded. "Who are you?"

I shook my head at everyone, telling them not to speak. I would handle everything.

"We just need to take a quick peek downstairs," I told them politely. I moved towards the stairs. I motioned for Adrian to stay upstairs with Gregory. This was part of our plan. I'd take Lissa and Christian downstairs if there were any more guards.

We sped down the winding stairs to a long hallway. This was dangerous. I had no idea if there were any kinds of alarm systems, but the hallway was thin. There were no doors on either sides, and we could only go single file. I groaned but continued forward. We ran down the hallway to a large wooden door located at the end.

"Ready?" I asked quietly.

Lissa nodded. Behind her glasses, I could see her eyes look frustrated.

_Sorry, Lissa_, I thought apologetically. I squeezed the door handle and pushed into the room.

I felt a rush of cold air. I shuddered and stepped into the room.

"Hey, who are you?" There was one more Guardian standing at a metallic podium. He rushed over towards me.

Lissa seemed a little more quick this time. The man dropped to his knees. "Crap," he uttered before blacking out. I took this opportunity to slowly walk over to him.

"Sorry," I apologized quickly.

"Rose," Christian exclaimed, pointing. I looked back at him and then where he was pointing. The metal walls stretched back, declining into a single point. A glass wall was set up, creating a pyramid shaped section that was cut off from the rest of the room. A light shimmered across the surface, creating a rainbow texture to the pane. I walked forward slowly, touching the surface. The colors rippled underneath my fingers.

"Why, if it isn't my dear friends."

I jumped back. "Shit!" I exclaimed.

"I'm behind the glass, my dear," the voice said.

I leaned in closer to the glittery glass. It was like looking through a translucent screen. I could see a dark figure sitting behind the glass, but no matter how hard I squinted, I couldn't see his face.

"I'd try the podium over there."

Christian moved to stand behind the podium. "How do you work this thing?" he asked, looking clueless.

"You need the Guardian's key," the voice said tiredly. "Check his body."

Christian bent down over the fainted Dhampir's body and patted his shirt. He gingerly stuck his fingers into the guy's shirt pocket and pulled out a metal key that hung around a silver chain. Christian stood up and jammed the key into the podium.

I heard a sharp squeal and suddenly, the brilliant glass screen disappeared, leaving a transparent glass portal.

Victor Dashkov waved weakly. He leaned against the metal wall behind him. He was a shadow of what I'd last seen him as. His hair was gray and wiry, making him look ten times older. His dull, eyes had lost their color, making them look like a smoky hazel now. In his gray sweat suit, his whole body seemed to be eaten in the baggy folds.

"The sunglasses complete the look," he commented, studying my cap and aviators.

"Victor, you know why we're here, right?" I asked.

"Yes, yes. Your father made that clear the last time he was here," Victor drawled. "I see where you get your tenacity, my dear."

"I'm not your dear," I snapped.

"Would you prefer I use your real name?" Victor asked, a twinkle catching his eye. He licked his lips.

I pursed my lips, glancing back towards the hallway. A black camera swiveled in its position above the door.

"Oh, my good friend, is that you over there in the corner?" Victor asked, squinting into the shadows by the doorway.

Lissa didn't say anything. She moved towards the glass gracefully until she stood next to me.

"To see you again," Lissa murmured. "I wouldn't have believed it a couple weeks ago."

"It's an honor to grace your presence," Victor said mockingly.

I banged the glass in front of me. "Stop toying with her," I snarled. "We aren't here to have tea."

"I don't think I can stomach the juice anymore," Victor replied, his tone darkening. "Nor food for that matter." He looked at me angrily. "No food. No drink. Nothing."

I exchanged a look with Lissa but reminded myself to keep on track.

"Victor, where is your brother?" I asked sharply, shaking off this weirdness. Something was wrong with Victor. It was like he was teetering on the edge of mental hell.

"Who knows?" He did. Damn, of course he knew.

"You do!" Lissa screamed, suddenly enraged. She pounded on the glass. I cringed. "Now you need to tell us!"

"My good friend, please calm down," Victor said lightly.

Lissa's eyes narrowed. I could feel it. She was using compulsion. I felt the darkness grow around her like an angry shadow.

Victor gasped and clutched his forehead.

"Stop!" Christian yelled, suddenly running up to her. He gripped her shoulders and shook her hard. "STOP THAT!" he yelled at the top of his lungs.

Lissa glared at Christian. But his steadfast gaze held hers. "Don't," he whispered. Lissa's frustration wavered. She opened and closed her mouth, like she was unsure of what to say.

"I—I—I—" she stuttered.

"Please stop," I pleaded, trying to take as much of Lissa's darkness in without being engulfed it in myself.

Lissa inhaled deeply and breathed out. And again, she inhaled and exhaled.

"Are you okay?" I asked quietly.

She nodded.

My head snapped back towards Victor. "You'll tell me where Doru is."

"Why should I do that?" Victor asked, his composure regained.

"Because I'm the only one that will break you out," I snapped. "I'm your one ticket out of here."

"That's true. But I'd much rather see your suffering than my freedom."

I seethed, but Lissa was still next to me. I'd be a hypocrite if I lost it right after I calmed her down.

I took out my stake. The metal was pretty tough. It wouldn't break just like that…so what if I…

I slammed my hand down onto the glass, the stake grasped firmly in my hand.

"What are you doing?" Victor shouted, as I hit the glass again. A shock traveled up my arm but I slammed it down again.

"I'm breaking you out. Then I can beat you up until you tell me where your brother is," I snapped. I hit the glass again. I heard a crack. Success. It might've been small, but I definitely had heard the glass break underneath my hand.

"Wait! Wait! Wait!" Victor said, waving his hands out at me. "Don't do that just yet!"

I glared at him. "Why?"

"What do you think breaking magical glass will do?" he said curtly.

I laughed shortly. I had to make a decision then. Let Victor toy with me endlessly. Or ignore him. Guess what I chose. The crack underneath my stake was big enough for me to see now. With all my power, I hit the stake into the crack.

I heard a large creak. That was all the warning I got. I grabbed Lissa and Christian by their shirts and pulled them backwards as fast as possible. The crack seemed to spider outwards, etching a web like design in the glass. I was reminded of the all too familiar of dream of mirrors I had back at school…nothing good comes from breaking glass.

It wasn't like big explosions in movies. Very anticlimactically, the glass seemed to shatter and collapse downwards. I guessed that it was built like safety glass.

Victor screamed. And it wasn't an angry scream. Or a scared scream. Or just a scream. It was bloodcurdling. He grasped his head, yelling for help.

I pushed Lissa and Christian back towards the door and ran over to Victor. He was on his back, writhing. "What's wrong?" I demanded, grabbing the Moroi's arms. Underneath the thin prisoner's outfit, I could feel his arms were extremely thin.

"Shut up!" I growled, slapping his face lightly.

Victor's voice trailed off, and it was like my slap brought him back to earth. I could see focus return to his eyes. He looked up at me. Something was wrong. Those grayed, dull eyes looked at me fully and without a single shred of recognition.

"Victor?" I asked tentatively.

"Who are you?" Victor inquired happily. Yes, I just said happily. I glanced back at Lissa and Christian. They looked just as surprised as me.

"You're kidding right?" I was dumbstruck. We either had incredibly good luck…or…bad luck. Either one, god this was incredible.

"Not really. I think I'd remember you," Victor mused. "I think I'm pretty good with faces."

I groaned. "You lost your memories!"

"Shit!" Christian cursed. "Now how are we going to find Doru?"

"Doru? You know my brother?" Victor inquired, a smile breaking out on his face.

We all nodded in unison. Apparently losing his memories didn't effect how he remembered his illegitimate brother. What ironic luck we had.

"How is Robert?" Victor asked eagerly. "Is Selim treating him well? I asked him to take care of Robert."

"Selim?" Lissa asked weakly.

Victor gave her a peculiar look. "Yes, yes. Selim Ivashkov is my good friend. He's looking after Robert. Robert needs looking after. He's special."

Bingo. I decided that we had extremely good luck. "Selim, huh." I grinned and sat down in front of Victor. If he was going to act like a five year old, I'd would deal with him like one. "Victor, where does Selim live?"

Victor shrugged. "He moves around a lot. I told him that it wasn't good for Robert to move around, but Selim rarely listens to me."

I sighed. "Where do you _think_ he is?" Christian snorted. I gave him a dark look but continued to pay attention to Victor.

"New York City," Victor said simply.

"Are you sure?" I asked gently.

"Yes, very sure. Selim loves Broadway."

"Thanks, Victor." I stood up and stretched. After the entire break in, it seemed like we found out the answer too easily.

"Cake," Lissa said. She seemed shocked. It was all over…relatively.

I laughed hysterically. "Cake. I feel like pie." I felt resentment…I didn't even know why I felt like that! Everything seemed so trivial. If the answer came this easily, why did I try to so hard?

"What are we going to do with him?" Lissa asked.

"Leave him," I motioned, waving my hand loosely. I didn't really care what happened now. This part of the adventure was done. It was time we moved on. "We have no more use for him."

Lissa and Christian eyed me as I started to walk back down the hall. Everything seemed too overwhelming right now. I just needed a break.

**[[A/N: This was an interesting chapter to write. I won't get into everything I was thinking while writing this. If you want, go read my blog. I'm going to reveal a little extra secret in the blog if you stop by.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: As I always say: Read and Review.]]**


	18. Love and Death

**[[A/N: Hello all! Whee! It's time to start writing again. It's almost spring break. I'm counting down the weeks. But I have to go get shots on Friday for my trip to Mexico. Damn typhoid! I'm not too worried about swine flu since I already got it last year.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: I'd just like to say that **_**this**_** chapter is REALLY SAD! Okay, well it looks sad in my outline. I don't know if its too grief ridden in text since I haven't written it yet. Hahah, okay just read.]]**

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The prospect of another leg of our journey made me feel bone weary. It was like I'd spent all my energy on getting Victor to reveal his secret. And now we had to go find this Selim guy. The Ivashkov family was huge! Even Adrian, who had about the entire Moroi court on his Blackberry, didn't know him.

I sighed, putting the cooler of blood packs into the trunk and slamming it shut. My mood was worse than ever today. Even spending an evening of relaxation by the harbor had done little to improve it. It felt like our progress was stagnating; no progress was not part of the plan.

"Are you okay?" Gregory asked, suddenly appearing behind me.

I gave him a sideways look. "No." I was fed up with all this. I didn't want to go on any more journeys. I wished that Victor had just told us straight out where Robert Doru was and not go on some amnesiac tangent about his apparent best friend. I leaned on the trunk, pressing the cold metal to my forehead. "Shouldn't you be on your watch duty?"

"They're just checking out. I left Adrian in charge." I felt Gregory's hand touch my shoulder gently. And just like magic, I felt my anger begin to subside..

"Why don't you go take a nap?" he suggested softly. "You look exhausted." I hadn't gotten a good night's rest in a while. And it was already 3 in the morning.

"Can't," I mumbled. "We have to get moving now before the Guardians from the prison come after us." It was surprising they hadn't already shown up. It's not like any of us were that well disguised.

Gregory pulled me off the trunk and wrapped his arms around me. I gasped in surprise, feeling my face in his chest. He smelled like San Francisco; saltwater and sourdough bread.

I looked up at his face and saw his reddened cheeks. I laughed, patting them with my hands. They were hot under my fingers. "Anxious, Gregory?" I teased.

He bit his lip cutely. "No," he lied. "It's hot tonight, that's all."

"You suck at lying," I told him, glancing at his bare arms uneasily. I felt an embarrassing desire to touch them, but I forced myself to keep my hands under control. I looked into his brown eyes. They reflected my dark ones in the dim lighting of the hotel parking lot.

"Rose," he began. His face was so close to mine. I could feel his warm breath on my cheeks. "I know about you and Adrian…"

My mouth made an o shape. "Is that why you haven't made a move?" I wondered.

He nodded. "Lissa told me to back off and let you and Adrian have a chance," he confessed. He laughed weakly.

I groaned. Was this some sort of payback when I used to try to keep Christian away from Lissa? Irony is a bitch.

"We're friends. I never promised Adrian anything," I said firmly.

"Nothing?"

I nodded. "Absolutely nothing."

"Does that mean…you want to try a relationship?"

Gregory's voice called to me. I felt lost in his words. _Yes! Yes! Yes!_ my heart screamed. I opened my mouth to reply, but my tongue felt like lead. Gregory smiled and leaned down, his lips touching the corner of my mouth. My eyes widened in surprise.

"We'll take it slow?" Gregory explained sheepishly.

I smiled and looked back at the hotel. _I'm sorry Adrian_, I thought sadly. I turned back to Gregory and nodded. "Although usually it is the girlfriend who wants that," I commented.

"Since when are we _usual_," Gregory retorted. I gave him that. "I'm more of the girlfriend than you." I giggled, smacking his arm hard, proving his point.

I heard the sliding doors of the hotel lobby open up. Lissa, Christian, and Adrian came out, dragging the baggage along behind them.

"All ready?" I asked, quickly pulling away from Gregory. I'd find a time to tell Adrian about Gregory. Even if I didn't love him, Adrian was still my friend. Gregory patted my shoulder understandingly and moved to help everyone with the bags.

"The question is not _if_ we are ready, but _how_ are we ready?" Adrian remarked. "How are we ever going to find one of the thousands of Ivashkovs living in New York City? I can name at least fifty second cousins that I know live there."

I shrugged. "We'll see when we get there. Now everyone hop in. We're on a schedule." We all piled into the tiny car again, grumbling slightly as our bodies pressed into one another to fit. Gregory climbed into the front passenger seat, making me laugh quietly. I moved to open the driver's door and was just about to open it when I felt a gut sensation.

Then came the dreadful nausea that was too familiar.

_Strigoi_, I managed to mouth to Gregory before I spun around with my stake out of my back pocket. A felt a hand brush my cheek, getting past my defenses. It was ice cold. I swatted away the hand automatically, not thinking that hitting a Strigoi full force with just the side of my hand would probably break my wrist.

Dimitri leaned away. He stood in front of me, smiling down. The man I was on a mission to save was here. And probably itching to kill me.

_Don't hesitate!_ I yelled in my mind. I lunged forward, aiming to plunge the stake directly into his chest. All my efforts to save him had disappeared from my mind. My body responded instinctively.

My former mentor leaped back easily. My stomach twisted uneasily. There were two Strigoi standing behind him. I felt like I'd seen them before. They were probably one of those bastard Strigoi that I'd fought at the Academy the past year. Tasha lounged comfortably against the light post.

My eyes narrowed. Dimitri clapped slowly. "You're reaction has improved, Rose," Dimitri approved. "But it's still too slow."

I heard a thud. Gregory had slid over the hood of the car and was next to me now. His stake was gripped tightly in his hand.

"Is he your partner?" Dimitri asked curiously. His gaze flickered to Gregory. "What's your name?"

"Gregory Waters," Gregory replied coldly, but I could tell his was scared. I moved closer to him, discreetly touching my hand to his arm. It was damp with sweat.

"That's you Gregory?" Dimitri exclaimed. "I remember meeting your father. He was a great Guardian. You were only a little boy when he died, right?" There was no remorse in his voice. Not one bit. His words were grating to my heart, so I knew that Gregory must've felt much, much worse.

"Why are you here?" I demanded.

Tasha raised her hand. "If I could have the floor." She moved forward, practically skipping over to stand next to Dimitri. "We would like to know what business you have with Victor Dashkov."

"None," I snapped. "Why would you think that?" It was a lie, but I wasn't about to give ground up to them in this argument.

"When we got to the prison, the Guardians there seemed awfully anxious. They kept talking about the break in and the stolen camera records," Tasha said. "Only two of them survived the awakening." She motioned to her two cohorts. That's why they were familiar! I suddenly felt so guilty. Lissa and Adrian's double compulsion didn't fully wear off, even when they had released the magic. Making them as ditzy as a drunken hobo probably didn't help their chances against Dimitri.

I didn't have time to reply. Gregory was off and charging towards Dimitri before I could get a word out. I cursed under my breath. He was going to get himself killed. His stake was out in front of him. It was like a silver bullet as he tried to snake his hand into Dimitri's chest. But before he could even get within a foot of my teacher, the two new Strigoi swooped in, causing Gregory to twist to the side to stop from running into them.

I gave one last look back at Lissa, Christian, and Adrian. I hoped they would get the message that they were forbidden to come out of the car at any time. This wasn't like Victor's prison break. This was a real life or death fight.

I moved towards Gregory to help him out, but Dimitri blocked my path. "Let's watch your partner in action. I bet this is his first real fight outside St. Vlad's." He said it like Gregory was entertainment and not a comrade. I shook my head, trying to get around Dimitri, but he kept moving in front of me.

"Rose, don't make me hurt you," Dimitri murmured. "I'd so love to kill you right now."

"Why don't you then?" I growled.

"I need to know what information you got from Dashkov first."

"Is it so important?"

"Why yes. It is."

I slashed my stake out towards Dimitri, hoping to at least catch a bit of skin. Even a little scratch would hurt like hell. But he was too fast. However, in his leap backwards to avoid my swing, I was given the opening I needed. I sprinted off towards Gregory, who was having trouble dealing with two Strigoi at the same time. His left arm hung weakly at his side. From the way his elbow looked, I'd saw it was broken.

Luckily for me, the enemy wasn't expecting my involvement. This let me have an easy opening on the closest Strigoi. Before he could react, my stake punched through his spine, digging deep into his heart.

The Guardian gave a gurgling scream before collapsing.

I yanked my stake out. Gregory was circling his final opponent, both of them gasping for breath. I wanted to help him out, but Gregory gave me a quick, sharp glare. _This is mine. Let me have him_, his look told me. I bit my lip nervously. When did a man's honor cross into idiotic recklessness?

"Enough of this," Tasha complained. She gave a quick look at Dimitri who had taken Tasha's seat on the lamppost. He nodded at her. Grinning, Tasha flashed over to where we were fighting. It looked like she had teleported. I gasped as her hand came up. Gregory hadn't even noticed her presence, even though she stood right behind him.

My life didn't flash before my eyes. But I did have a painful flashback…the brilliant life in Mason's eyes disappeared…I remembered the sickening crack as his neck broke. I screamed.

But it was too late. I heard it again. It was not one that I wanted to hear ever again. And here I was, a year later, watching the scene unfold. There was a snap of bone. Tasha was so calm. Her face was so at peace. Gregory managed to glance at me one last time, his eyes filled with some emotion that I couldn't read. But, he knew what was coming. And then his eyes went blank. I screamed again as Gregory collapsed forward, his neck broken.

"Gregory!" I cried, stumbling forward. A hand caught my arm. I spun around, swinging my stake forward blindly.

"Rose, focus," a familiar voice reprimanded me. It wasn't Dimitri's or Tasha's.

"Mischa?" I asked disbelievingly. Eddie's girlfriend was there. Her beautiful face was like an angel's. I couldn't process it. Maybe I was the one that died. Maybe Tashakilled _me_, and I was in heaven.

"Get up," she spat. "And go back to the car."

"Why are you here?"

"Because _he's _here," Mischa hissed. She motioned to Dimitri. _Oh yah…she wants to kill him. I remember_…

"Don't kill him yet," I pleaded. Something in my heart told me that she'd end up dead. I couldn't have two deaths on my hands…not in the same night.

Mischa snorted and pushed me back towards the car. I fell on my back and stayed there. The stars were barely visible…not only was it beginning to lighten up in the sky, but also the city lights were turning back on. One star twinkled brightly, shining through the orange tinted sky. I stared at it, not thinking about anything else. It was so beautiful.

Suddenly, the air got hot. I frowned. It wasn't late enough to be hot. The stars were still out. I felt a pair of hands pick me up and drag me across the pavement to the car. I looked up. It was Lissa. She was panting heavily as her blond hair fell into my face. Drips of tears rolled down her cheeks and onto my face.

"Liss," I mumbled. "You're getting me wet."

"Sorry, sorry, sorry," she repeated. She sniffled. "Christian is taking care of things, but we have to go." She looked up briefly. I followed her gaze.

Christian was pulling an unconscious Mischa towards us, a wall of fire flickering in the background. I couldn't see if Dimitri or Tasha were behind it.

"Adrian, help me," Lissa requested. Adrian hopped out of his seat and ran around the car to pick up my feet. Lissa pulled me into the backseat. Adrian gently placed my feet on the floor and closed the door. He swung open the driver's door and got in. The car began to rumble underneath my body.

I struggled to sit up, moving myself into the middle seat. Lissa sat down next to me and buckled both of us in. Christian had gotten to the car with Mischa. I weakly tugged on her shoulders, helping her sit up next to me. I guessed that she was knocked out with compulsion, as she didn't have any telltale signs of fighting. Her head lolled limply against the window.

The car began to jerk out of the parking space.

"WAIT!" I screamed. I glanced towards the parking lot. "WE NEED GREGORY!"

Lissa gave me a sorrowful look. "We can't go back. It's only a matter of time before the police arrive."

I shook my head violently, reaching for the seat belt. "No-no-no!"

Lissa's hand caught mine. "Stop, Rose," she commanded. My mind began to slow down.

My eyes widened. She was using compulsion. My jaw went slack. "How could you leave him?" I managed to garble.

"Adrian called the Alchemists," Lissa said soothingly. "They'll take Gregory's body back to Montana where his mother can pick him up."

"No, we need to take him! The police will get to him, and they'll cut him open and—" I cried, tears beginning to well up in my eyes.

Lissa smiled softly. "Gregory will be alright. We can't bring his body with us."

I knew she was right. But every pore in my being shouted no. Just like with Mason, my soul seemed tied to Gregory at that point. I couldn't leave him. As we pulled out of the parking lot, I stared at the dark body on the ground by the still raging firewall. As we drove away, I felt physically sick to my stomach. I'd let him down…and it cost him his life

--

The plane ride was not pleasant at all. Compared to the trip _to_ San Francisco, this one was epically tragic.

Mischa had eventually woken up. And when she did, we had a real problem on our hands. Obviously, she wasn't part of, nor did she want any part of, the plan to rescue Dimitri. But she did want to tag along with us.

"I'm not going to go out of my way to save the guy," she snapped, drinking a long swig of her coke. She pressed an icepack to her forehead. She'd hit her head on the cement when she fainted. "But you're going to take me with you. I'm not letting Dimitri out of my sight, and you guys are like magnets for Strigoi."

"Why should I do even trust you?" I grumbled.

"Because Gregory is gone," Mischa reminded us. "And you guys _literally_ need me. The Queen will no doubt be calling any day now about your dead friend." If I were in the mood, I would've pointed out that he should've been her friend too. It seemed like they got along really well during the Breaker.

But she had a point. I choked. She was right, and she knew it. Gregory was gone. Forever. His face was already fading from my memory. What color was his hair? Oh yah…that stupid reddish-brown. Like a dirty tomato. A tear sprang to my eye, but I quickly wiped it away.

"Tell me this. If you had a choice, would you kill Dimitri or would you save him?" Christian asked suddenly.

"I'd kill him," Mischa said curtly. "And I'm not ashamed of it." It was like she was driven by rage and revenge. I would be too if I had a chance to kill my mother's murderer. But I was too lost. If anything, the overwhelming desire to quit was even stronger now than anything.

Adrian sat in front of me, studying me. "Well, what should we do?" he asked gently.

I closed my eyes. "Let her come." I didn't care anymore. It was too much for me to handle. I couldn't do it anymore. I was too tired to make any effort about anything. But one thought still remained in my mind. _No one else will die._

--

**[[A/N: WAHH! Gregory is gone! Sorry you guys. I just **_**had**_ **to do it. Death was calling my name. I loved Gregory as much as any of Mead's characters. I might even write a little short about him.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Comments are much appreciated. Tell me what you think of Gregory's death!]]**


	19. Dealing with Grief

**[[A/N: I'll tell you guys now that the plot that I've started won't end in this story.**

**But before I make this decision final, I'd like to know what you guys think: Should I continue this story in a sequel? It's just getting way to long. My plans for story will end shortly after Rose and her group find Doru.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: **_SUPER BIG WARNING__**!**___**This chapter has ****MATURE**** content. I'm not going to say specifically what it is, but it's in there. Trust me. I'm writing this in **_**art class**_**. I feel just as awkward as you guys will be reading this. Okay, if you've read through the entirety of Shadow Kiss, then it should be all right. It's not that bad. I tried to make it as PG as possible.]]**

--

I was back in a dream again. And damn, it was realistically painful. I probably wouldn't have realized that I was still asleep if not for the absence of pain in my overly exhausted muscles.

The world I stood in tonight was the black, nighttime parking lot of the San Francisco hotel. I frowned. I would need to have a word with Adrian about picking a location. I glanced towards the corner…the last spot I'd seen Gregory's body. I coughed, trying to cover a sob. But whom did I need to hide it from? No one would see me cry in a dream.

"Interesting place you've picked, Rose," Tasha commented, lounging on the grassy sidewalk that lined the parking lot. She waved at me, beckoning me to join her. But sitting next to her like good friends was the last thing in the entire list of cruel things that I wished to do with her.

I made no move, just glaring at her.

"No hugs for Tasha?" she asked blithely. "Too bad."

"You—" I spat furiously, balling my fists.

"Rose, we're in a dream. What harm could you do to me here?" Tasha taunted, suddenly appearing at my side. I didn't know if she had simply moved her dream body via whatever magic she now possessed or was just that fast, but I jerked in surprise.

"Plenty," I growled, swinging a punch at her. I half-expected my fist to collide with her face. Instead, it whished right through, as if she was a hologram.

"Rose, let me explain," Tasha stated flatly. "Or would you like to keep punching me?"

"The latter," I snarled, kicking this time. But still the same result. I cursed as my weight fell unevenly onto my ankle, twisting it. How was it that I could injure myself but not her?

"Please let me talk," Tasha repeated, tiredly. She rubbed her temples as she sat cross legged in the middle of the parking lot. Her red eyes squinted at me with frustration.

"What's to say?" I snapped. "You're a traitor to Moroi and Dhampir."

Tasha grimaced. "For their own good," she reasoned. Her eyes glinted dangerously in the starlight. The heavenly bodies that orbited the earth didn't seem to give off the same, surrealistic beauty that they usually did.

"Bullshit!" I finally allowed myself to sit down, literally nursing my wound.

"Think, Rose. If I hadn't done what I'd did", I wouldn't still have Dimka's trust. I'm his right hand woman now," Tasha explained. "All the easier to help _you._" She sounded desperate. It was odd. She was this all powerful, immortal bloodsucking Strigoi, but she sounded like a child.

"You _killed_ Gregory," I screamed. "That's not for the good of anyone! HE WAS GREAT! GREATER THAN YOU AND ME!" I choked on a dry sob, but no tears would come out. I guessed the dreamscape didn't allow crying.

"Dimka hated Gregory. He was jealous. Kiling your partner assured me his trust," Tasha said softly. "I had no choice. And believe me, it was a hard one to make."

I could tell she was trying to sound remorseful. I recognized the same regretful, saddened tone that friends of the grieving often used. But the harsh, uncaring attitude of her Strigoi self still lingered, telling me she was completely faking her sympathy.

"I don't care what your reasoning is or was," I grumbled, fed up with talking with Tasha. "Just let me leave this place."

"Alright." The world began to shake and crumble away into black splotches. Tasha herself seemed to melt away into the background, like a fading watercolor portrait. Her red eyes stared at me, still vividly sharp. "We still are allies, Rose."

I opened my mouth to speak, but I wasn't staring at her anymore. I was looking up at the ceiling of the Marriott suite in New York City. The beige ceiling was ten times more comforting than the parking lot back in San Francisco.

I struggled to sit up in bed, groaning. My muscles were tense and sore from the plane ride over. Glancing over at the next bed, I realized that Lissa had left the room. I wasn't nervous though. With Mischa the Beast-a (as Christian called her behind her back) standing guard outside the suite, I doubted that Lissa would dare use compulsion on her. They were probably in Christian's conjoining suite.

I refused to think about anything too deeply. Thinking about anything made my stomach drop like a rollercoaster. I rubbed my chest. I was in no condition to go out searching for Moroi anytime soon. But once the sun dropped below the horizon, I was scheduled to lead a search party to find Selim.

_Knock, knock._

"Come in," I said flatly. I didn't need two guesses to figure out who it was.

Adrian sauntered into the room, a silver tray in his arms. I groaned, seeing the plate of pancakes, glass of orange juice, and small vase of yellow daffodils stacked on top.

"Are you playing housewife?" I asked sarcastically as he set the tray on the nightstand next to me.

Adrian smiled softly and sat on the opposite bed from me. He motioned for me to take a sip of the orange juice. At first, I was hesitant. But my mouth was parched. My tongue was sticking to my dry lips. I sighed, giving in. I took the large glass of juice and drank deeply, feeling the tangy, freshly squeezed juice roll down my tongue. I felt the coldness trickle down my throat and expand in the core of my stomach.

"It's good," I mumbled.

"It's fresh," Adrian commented. He seemed to be holding back. I looked at him. Even in the curtained darkness of the room, I could see sympathy etched all over that face of his. That was the last thing I needed.

"I'm fine, Adrian," I snapped, taking another sip. I lowered the glass and fingered the rim.

"So you say," Adrian remarked mysteriously.

My eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I'm not an idiot, Rose," Adrian snapped. He lay back on the bed, stretching out like a cat. "You loved Gregory."

My jaw dropped. "W-What? What are you talking about?"

"I saw you guys _kiss_," Adrian muttered sullenly. I couldn't see his eyes, but his lips were twisted into a depressed frown. My mind flashed back to the hotel parking lot back in San Francisco. Everything seemed so trivial back then; I wasn't worried about anyone seeing us kiss. Not even Adrian.

When I didn't say anything, Adrian continued. "Were you ever going to tell me?"

I looked down at my orange juice. Suddenly, it didn't look so tasty anymore. "Eventually," I said truthfully. And it was sincere. I gave him a hard look, to which he met with a firm gaze.

"So here we are. I can't very well forgive you," Adrian said. I knew he was right. I should've told him, instead of leading him on into thinking I was still completely single. The devil side of me spoke up. Why should I let him be angry with me? I told him that he had a chance with me, not that I'd remain single forever in hopes that my feelings would change. I waited for the angel side to speak up. But it didn't. I guessed that it had disappeared, along with a large portion of my sanity. I mean, I was having inner conversations with myself. Not natural.

I grunted, putting the orange juice back down. I was completely alert, feeling awkward with Adrian so close. I was aware of his every move, his every fidget. It was like I was hyperaware of everything about him.

"When will you forgive me?" I asked. I rolled over onto my side and looked at him. Adrian's face was an eerie placid. It'd been a while since I last seen him so emotionless. He got off the bed and knelt on both knees in front of me. His face was too close to mine. My cheeks burned. Too close, my mind shouted. I rolled onto my back, feeling the awkwardness of the situation.

"I'm not sure," Adrian answered carefully. The words came out slow, like he placed a period in between each word. He placed a hand on my shoulder. "But we can be…just friends for now. Nothing more," he suggested.

"Just friends. Not even best friends," I added.

"Right. Not even."

There was that tense silence for about two seconds. At half a second, I felt the blood rise to my cheeks. At a second, Adrian's hand was like fire against my skin. At one and a half seconds, I rolled back to look at Adrian, my eyes wide with shock. And at two seconds, we just looked at each other.

I think God cut the leashes that restrained us. We could get in our arms faster. Adrian leaped up onto the bed, pulling off the thick, feather filled covers. Our hands grasped each other, ripping our clothes off as fast as possible. Our mouths met, and the months of sexual tension that had built up between us back at school suddenly were expelled in an instant. We were one body, but two minds. Our limbs entwined together, fitting perfectly like a puzzle, but I still retained conscious control of myself.

It wasn't love that fueled us. It was desire, lust, and pity. My first time in the cabin seemed like decades ago. All I thought of was here and now. The sharp, eroding pain ebbed away into pleasure, leaving me fully in bliss. Our kisses were hard and then soft. I felt no embarrassment feeling Adrian's lips touch my neck, dragging along my collarbone. There was nothing to hide at that moment. All our secrets were exposed, in any way you want to see it. It was a partnership between…friends with benefits.

When the bliss finally disappeared, we both just lay there on the bed, staring at each other under the covers. Adrian was breathing deeply, sweat clinging to his forehead. His cheeks were flushed.

Now that it was over, I felt so naked. And not literally, although that also added to the embarrassment. It had been a mutual decision to have sex, but now that it was over, the immediate regret was starting to seep in.

"Adrian," I whispered. I didn't look directly into his eyes.

He nodded. He knew. I didn't know if he shared the same thoughts as I, but I knew he understood my feelings. Without another word, he slipped out of the bed. He grabbed the extra blanket on Lissa's bed and wrapped it around himself. He quietly walked around the bed and picked up our clothes. He walked over to the dresser, dropping mine in the drawers.

"Adrian," I repeated, feeling dizzy. I could hardly believe what I just did. It hadn't been a full day since I kissed Gregory with my feelings laid out on the table. And it hadn't been a day since Gregory died that I just now had sex with the third wheel who had pined for my affection since Day 1.

"This is between you and me," he said shortly, before darting through the door to his own room. The door closed behind him, and I heard a resounding click of the lock.

What had I done? My mind was still buzzing with remaining endorphins, but I really had had sex with Adrian. It was pity sex. Grief sex. And I was ashamed of it. And now, I probably had driven the wedge further between us.

"This sucks," I told myself quietly. But that was a total understatement.

**[[A/N: This chapter might either be really good or really bad. Tell me how you think about it.]] **


	20. The Big Apple

**[[A/N: I'm very excited to write this next chapter. The feedback you guys send me is great to read, and it keeps me motivated! Even if you don't like a part, please comment about it. Any reviews are good reviews ^^]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: This chapter has no intimate scenes, in case you are wondering. And it'll be a little slower than last chapter. Just thought I'd warn you guys again.]]**

--

New York definitely was as lively at night as it was during the day, if not more so. Taxis of all shapes and sizes drove in hordes through the skyscraper-lined streets. People crowded the skinny, cement crosswalk, threatening to knock over any unsuspecting bystander.

We all looked warily outside, peering through the glass doors of the lobby. My feet ached in my five-inch heels, but if we were going to be asking around nightclubs, then I would have to play the part. I had to admit, Mischa's skills at makeup were phenomenal.

"This is a Guardian's nightmare," I complained. There was no safe coverage, no way to track a person, no way to do anything but try to pick a good current to ride to your destination.

"You have to learn to deal with it," Mischa said exasperatedly, but from her face, I could tell she was dreading just stepping a foot outside the hotel.

Unfortunately for us, Lissa and Christian seemed itching to get out and find their New York brethren. Their eyes sparkled with excitement as they whispered quietly on a lobby sofa. Adrian sat beside them, looking like the awkward third wheel. He looked up, catching my gaze. I felt my stomach drop as he held me in his stare, looking stony. I pulled away, squishing my face to the glass doors again.

"You did _it_ with him, didn't you," Mischa stated. It wasn't a question. I didn't need to say anything apparently, because it was written all over my expression. Mischa made a frustrated growl in her throat. "The only way this plan will work is if we _all_ trust each other. You guys might not trust me, but I trust you." She glared at me. "Don't mess up this whole thing just because you and Adrian had a little guilt sex."

_Easier said than done, _I thought. But instead I said, "I'll work on it." I gave a sideways glance towards Adrian. He was "preoccupied" with flipping through a Golf Digest magazine that had been place don the table. Since when did Adrian play golf? He was always too drunk to even hold the club right.

"You do that." Mischa glanced at me then at Adrian. She groaned, facepalming. "I'm going to regret this," she muttered.

"What?" I demanded.

Mischa gave me an even look. "I'll take Adrian for the day. We can go check out another club while you take Lissa and Christian."

My eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. Was it me or had the Ice Queen Mischa Anatova just offered me a favor.

"Well?" she asked impatiently.

I nodded, unable to speak. But I remembered something. "Hey," I said, tapping her shoulder, "what happened with you and Eddie? He can't be okay with you going on this ridiculous quest, right?"

Mischa suddenly tensed, but her expression softened. A look of sadness crossed her face. "We broke up," she murmured. "Right after grad."

I gasped. "I'm sorry," I apologized, feeling like an ass. I put my hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Mischa shrugged me off brusquely. "It's not your problem." And her tone made it clear she wouldn't keep talking about it.

--

I walked exactly behind Lissa and Christian, making sure that they weren't more than five feet in front of me. It had taken some extra time in planning, but Mischa and I eventually split our charges up to go to two different, popular Moroi nightclubs.

The club wasn't that far. Close enough to walk, at least. I kept my purse strapped around my arm and held to my stomach. No way in hell would I let a mugger rob me. I had a stake, and I wasn't afraid to use it.

The Red Lips Nightclub was about three blocks from the hotel. The place was three stories tall, a glistening neon jewel between an office building and Italian restaurant. A line had formed outside with the quintessential black-clad bouncer in front of the door. He looked like a Moroi to me, which was good. Lissa's compulsion worked the best against them.

I nudged Lissa, giving her the all-go. She nodded and glided up to the large man. In the cursive red sign above the door, her blond hair seemed to glitter with a red aura. Her blue high-waisted cocktail dress shimmered, falling in rivulets down to her knees.

"Hi, my friends and I would love to take a tour of your club," Lissa said, her voice seductively layered with compulsion. It was pretty effective too. The bouncer put up a second of resistance before completely crumbling before compulsion. He smiled dopily, ushering us into the music pounding depths of the club.

The bass vibrated the air around me. The music was a mix of random beats woven together by a rather suave DJ. He spun the turntables with ease, letting his fingers flow over the soundboard in front of him. Neon spotlights swayed over the expansive first floor. All the walls had been torn down, but the edges of the room were rimmed with curtained booths. I could only imagine the promiscuous whores behind the sheer white cloth.

"So what do we do now?" Christian yelled over the music.

I pointed upstairs. "The higher you go, the richer the people you'll get," I yelled back.

We lamely danced our way across the room to the stairs. People didn't seem to notice us. We were just part of the undulating crowd; which was just what we needed in order to remain "incognito."

We climbed the stairs to reach the second landing. And this floor was unlike the first in so many ways. If the first floor was a tailgating party, the second floor hosted the champagne drinking after partiers.

You could barely hear the thudding beats below; the music had been replaced with a calm, ambient elevator tune. Tall lamps had been set up around the room, strategically placed to provide bright lighting in some areas and complete darkness in others. Fancily dressed Moroi sipped suspiciously colored drinks on wine colored cushions.

A Moroi woman beckoned at us from the dark pine bar. Approximately in her late twenties, her face was pale and heart shaped, framed by perfectly styled gold curls. She looked almost childlike, and if not for her black mini dress and thick red lipstick that aged her complexion, she could've been mistaken for a young teenager. Her blue eyes were surprisingly familiar. I struggled to conjure up some sort of memory of her.

Lissa, Christian, and I sat down at the bar, looking at each other with sideways glances. They also seemed to be trying to recall who this woman was.

She smiled at us kindly. Her teeth were as perfectly sculpted as her hair. I leaned in closer. Her white fangs were filed down, looking more like sharp canines than typical fangs. I'd heard of Moroi who underwent the "Blunting" ceremony to fit into society, but I'd never seen one before.

"Welcome," she said warmly. She pulled out three glasses from under the bar. It seemed strange that she was bartending in a clubbing outfit. Placing the glasses on the table, she turned around and grabbed some bottles off the shelves. "Here for a drink, right?"

She didn't wait for an answer, shaking the bottles in her hand quickly and pouring set proportions of each into our glasses. The mixture was a dark, muddy brown, but it smelled eerily like pungent wine.

I gave a sharp nudge at Lissa, who in turn grabbed Christian's hand before he could take a sip of the drink.

_No drinking_, I thought, glaring at them. I quickly smiled at the woman. "Sorry, we're just here looking for someone."

The woman looked taken aback for a moment, but nodded. "Well maybe I can help," she proposed. "I'm the club owner." Her gracious attitude probably would've alerted me to her occupation earlier, if I hadn't been so distracted by the large golden stake earring dangling from her left lobe. It twinkled in the room's lighting, glinting discreetly through her hair.

"Club. Owner?" Christian asked suspiciously. "You?"

She clucked her tongue, disgusted. She must've gotten that reaction a lot. "Look, _boy_, if you have a problem with that, I'll call the bouncer your girlfriend compelled downstairs. He probably would love to get his hands on your pretty face." Her tone was suddenly cold. What a mood swing. Christian raised his hands in defeat, his face paling underneath her hard stare. It was a rare sight to see Christian Ozera being put in his place. The woman sighed and stuck out her hands at Lissa and me, offering them for shaking. "Name's Amalia Rinaldi. Pleased to meet you…most of you."

Lissa giggled but her face slowly turned from amusement to realization. "Your last name is Rinaldi?"

Amalia patted her chest. "Indeed it is. It's a proud name to carry," she said with a crooked grin.

Rinaldi…Rinaldi…Mia's last name? That's why I recognized Amalia! She looked like an older version of Mia. The two could be carbon copies of each other!

"You aren't by chance related to a Mia Rinaldi, are you?" I inquired, fiddling with the cup in my hands.

Amalia's eyebrow rose in surprise. "Well, yes. I am. She's my niece." She dragged a stool out from under the bar and sat down on it. She was considerably taller than us, even sitting down. Her blond locks tumbled down to her waist, clipped out of her face by a blood red pin that matched her lips.

"Niece?" we all exclaimed at once. Amalia shushed us quickly, waving at some people who had turned to look at us.

"Quiet," she hissed, her eyebrows furrowing together. She sighed. "I'm her father's younger sister."

My jaw dropped. "So you…you're her mother's sister-in-law."

Amalia stared at me evenly. "Yes. I am." Her voice remained flat…to flat. Like she was suppressing her emotions. "I was very close to Renata. Did you know her as well?"

"No," I said quickly, unwilling to offend Amalia by bringing up Mia's dead mother, "but your niece is a good friend of ours. She talked about her mother often."

"I'm so sorry for your loss," Lissa added, looking down uneasily at her cup.

Amalia waved her hand loosely, laughing lightly again. "Don't worry about it," the club owner told us casually. "Besides, you seem like good kids. It's a good sight to see that her friends—or at least two of you—are so well-mannered." Christian's face reddened. He snorted but kept his mouth shut, albeit by biting his lips together.

"So who are you looking for again?" Amalia asked suddenly, taking my glass. "You mind?" she asked. I shook my head, gesturing her to feel free to drink it. She took a heavy sip and smiled relaxedly. It was weird. Mia was so uptight. Even when we had become friends, it was like her mother's ghost haunted her. She hardly ever smiled, and she was definitely not as happy as Amalia. I guessed the carefree gene had been left out of Mia's gene pool.

"A Moroi royal named Selim Ivashkov," Lissa said directly. She placed one hand on top of the other in a comforting fashion. She was just as worried as I was that we had hit a dead end.

"You're looking for Selim?" Amalia mused, pretending to be clueless. "Now you do know there are about a thousand Ivashkovs in New York City _alone_. Most likely, there will be more than one Selim."

"But you seem like you know him," Christian exclaimed eagerly, leaning forward. "Could you tell us where to find him?"

"I—I—"Amalia stuttered. "I can't."

My temper boiled in my stomach. I could just feel it. The heat seemed to expand outwards from my core. "Why not?" I growled. I could very well pull out my stake, conveniently strapped to my thigh, hidden by my cocktail dress.

"Selim is a very, very picky man," Amalia explained, her blue eyes darting to her shoes. "Not just anyone can see him."

"I think the Dragomir princess isn't just _anyone_," I snapped.

Amalia eyes widened. She looked back and forth between Lissa and me. "_She's_ the last Dragomir?" Amalia wondered in awe. She gazed at Lissa with a newfound respect. "Now I'm certainly impressed."

Ordinarily, Lissa didn't play the Moroi royal princess card. But the situation definitely called for her to. Lissa coughed and sat up straighter, pushing her shoulders back.

"Yes, I'm Princess Vasilisa Dragomir," Lissa said formally. "And right now, I really need to see Selim."

"Well if it's you…" Amalia's voice trailed off. She seemed to be weighing the decision. "NO!" she exclaimed. "What am I thinking?" She shook her head. "I'm sorry." She smiled weakly. "Selim asked not to be disturbed by _anyone_. No exceptions. Not even if you were Queen Tatiana herself."

I groaned. My hand darted to my concealed stake, but Lissa caught my arm. "Let me handle this," she whispered into my ear. She looked back at Amalia and stared into her eyes. Christian and I exchanged worried glances. It was clear that Lissa was planning to use compulsion.

"Could you please tell us where Selim Ivashkov is?" Lissa said.

Amalia's eyes drooped tiredly. "He's here."

"Here? Where?"

"Third floor."

"Specifically?"

"Second door on the left after the stairwell."

Lissa smiled. "Good. You can now lean on the counter and take a nap. The drink you just had has made you tired."

Amalia nodded dumbly. She leaned forward and rested her head on the table. It was a second before her eyes closed. Over the soft music, I could hear her slowed, steady breathing.

"She won't be out long. I just learned how to compel sleep. Not more than ten minutes per person," Lissa confessed.

"Where are Adrian and Mischa? They should be here," I said, hopping off my barstool.

"About two minutes from here," Christian estimated. "They should be checking out the Element Forge Club."

"Great," I said. I dug through my purse and pulled out my cell phone, courtesy of Adrian's savings account. The shiny Blackberry twinkled in my hand as I handed it over to Lissa. "Call Mischa and tell her to meet us up on the third floor and to come quickly."

I turned away quickly and sat down on an empty cushion. It sank underneath me. I gave out a long sigh. My head was pounding. If Adrian was here, I bet he would comment on my darkening aura. I peered at Lissa, talking animatedly on the phone with Christian absentmindedly stroking her hair.

My best friend was compelling people so easily. I didn't know when this happened, but I was admittedly worried. I knew about the dark effects of Spirit and how they affected the best of Moroi. I certainly didn't want Lissa to end up like Ms. Karp. And I sure as hell didn't want to end up as dead as a rock like Anna. But the darkness of being shadow kissed was beginning to eat away at myself, and not even Oksana's ring could do much to fix it anymore. I could feel myself falling into Lissa's negativity. I mentally made a note to start practice again to heal my aura again. If anything, it was more urgent than ever.

**[[A/N: After last chapter, this might seem a little flat. I told you that Rose would be dealing with the fallout of her guilt sex. Well, I decided to give Adrian a break while **_**I**_** compose my thoughts. Don't worry. Our favorite Moroi chain smoker will be back in the next chapter.]]**

**[[A/N: Read and review. Please and thank you :D ]]**


	21. Ivashkov

**[[A/N: I'm sick again. Well not feverish sick, but I am suffering from my annual bout with a runny nose and sore throat. And because my parents don't seem to believe in—or maybe they just don't know about—any sort of allergy medication, I have to go through Spring like this. I have a feeling I'm pissing off my teachers by using up their tissues (which might I add are way to rough). ]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Adrian will be in this chapter. Just thought I'd let you know. You may read on. :D]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: The very last section of this chapter will be from a 3****rd**** person POV]]**

--

Where Mischa was a graceful swan flying up the stairs in a white party dress, I looked clumsy and ill suited to any sort of hells…I mean heels. Explain to me the difference again?

"Well, what did she say again?" Mischa asked impatiently, waiting for me to bring up the rear of the group.

"Second door on the left," Lissa piped up, nodding towards a black, wooden door. The hallway of the third floor was narrow and unlike the previous two floors in every way. I expected some sort of beautiful, ornate furniture and possibly even a butler or two. To tell you the truth, I was kind of disappointed.

The walls were barren of anything aside from some torn wallpaper. Dirty stools were set up against the walls, looking broken and beaten down. From all the glitz and glam that Amalia wore, I was skeptical about why she would leave so much grime up here.

Adrian moved forward past me to knock on the door.

"Hey wait!" I hissed, grabbing his arm. "Don't go in so easily."

He stiffened underneath my grasp, looking at my hand with an emotionless face. He looked up at me. And for the first time since I met him, it really looked like Adrian hated me. Something inside me broke a tiny bit. I didn't know what it was, but I felt my heart shake with rage and sadness. I wanted to fool myself into thinking I'd given him everything. But in fact, I probably took more than what I'd given him in our entire friendship. Well…what was left of it.

I frowned, trying to look unmoved. "Seriously, move away from the door and let Mischa and me handle this."

Adrian didn't say anything, but he stepped back with Lissa and Christian. I nodded a quick thanks and motioned for Mischa to stand by the other side of the door. I grasped the doorknob.

"1…2…3!" I shouted, kicking in the door. Mischa ran in first, her stake poised at the ready.

"What the flippin' hell is a Guardian doing in here?" a voice asked from inside.

"It's safe, Rose," Mischa reported, peeking outside again.

I sighed a breath of relief. I wasn't expecting Strigoi just to be hiding up here, but I didn't just want to skimp on safety protections.

I beckoned for Lissa, Christian, and Adrian to follow me in. We all filed into the tightly cramped room in a single line. Surprisingly, the room was much larger than the hallway led you to believe.

A tall lamp was set up in the corner, shedding light on the crimson room. A black, leather couch wrapped around the three other walls with a shelf of beer bottles and vodka on the far one. Mischa had broken the center table when she barged in, causing the drinks that rested there to break and drip onto the matted, purple shag carpet. The air practically reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. I bet that Adrian was completely at home.

A middle aged Moroi with black hair lounged on the couch, his feet propped up on a pillow. His skin was pale and green, evidence of hanging on the balance of alcohol poisoning and seizures from overdrinking. His emerald green eyes stared at us critically underneath a full head of black hair. He wore a blue Ed Hardy t-shirt that looked suspiciously stained with something that had covered his entire chest and front jean leg.

"Are you Selim Ivashkov?" I asked uneasily, feeling sick just being in the pigsty.

The man grinned. "What if I am?" he teased. He seemed to be enjoying this; I bet our entry was the most excitement he had all day.

"We have some questions for you," Adrian said flatly. Even he looked disgusted by his cousin's quarters. He shifted from foot to foot, but his eyes drifted eagerly to the bottles of vodka on the shelf.

"Ha, well if it isn't my perfect pet cousin," Selim exclaimed, sitting up slowly. He swayed a little bit, his smile drooping on one side. It was like all Ivashkovs drank like the world was ending.

"You know me?" Adrian asked skeptically.

Selim nodded. "The Queen's favorite little pet is well known to _all_ Ivashkovs, even if you don't know them. As well as the last Dragomir." He reached underneath the couch and pulled out—well can you guess? A bottle of raw vodka. I cringed as he squeezed off the cork and began to chug heavily.

"Pay attention," I snapped.

"I'm all ears, Number One," Selim gasped, swallowing a gulp of air before drinking a large swig again.

"You need to tell us where Robert Doru is," Christian said curtly. "We've come a long way to find him.

"Now, now. What makes you think I know where this Robert fellow is?" Selim chided. I growled. He was clearly toying with us. And let me tell you this: I don't like being played around with…especially by a drunk ass with booze for blood.

Lissa's frustration broke first, a rarity indeed. "Victor Dashkov told us that you were taking care of him." She glared at him angrily. "Tell us where Robert Doru is," she commanded, using her full compulsion. There she went again! I grimaced, feeling my own temper grow darker. It all was happening to quickly. The Lissa from before would never have used compulsion so easily and especially not with so much anger.

Selim's bemused face hardened with anger. "You're trying to compel me, aren't you," he seethed. I couldn't even see Spirit auras like Adrian, but his power was so great I could literally feel him pushing back against Lissa's own magic.

"Wh-Wh-What?" Lissa exclaimed, biting her lip in shock. It was evident to everyone the room that Selim Ivashkov was fighting back against compulsion; and he was winning.

"Holy crap, you're a Spirit user!" Adrian shouted. His eyes widened in surprise. I could see his pupils dart up and down, looking for an invisible golden aura signifying Spirit powers.

"And the jig is up," Selim confessed lazily, shrugging. He sighed. "And here I thought the booze would help."

Mischa held up her hands. "Wait, wait, wait. Spirit?" I groaned. Was it possible she was the only person left from St. Vladimir's that didn't know about Spirit? It'd been pretty clear that everyone knew about Lissa's unique affinity after her little spat with Avery. I guess you don't get beauty and brains after all.

"Please don't make me explain," I groaned.

"I know what Spirit is," Mischa snapped, offended. "But is it really possible to have three Spirit users in the _same_ room?"

"Well of course it is, Number Two," Selim said cheekily, referring to Mischa being the second Guardian in our group. "You take a Spirit User, find another Spirit User, and group them together with a third Spirit user, and viola! You get 3 of them together in _one_ room."

"Smart asses like you get kicked in the groin by feet like mine," Mischa retorted angrily, gesturing towards her stiletto heels.

"Down, girl. I'm not here to make enemies," the Moroi responded lightly. He drank another large gulp. I wondered how it was possible for him to drink so much and still have control over his magic. From what I knew about Adrian and Lissa's experiences with alcohol, the stuff made them magical dead zones.

"Then please tell us where Robert Doru is," I exclaimed exasperatedly. I shook my hands in the air for emphasis. "We don't have time for petty games with drunk royals."

"And yet you play them with my cousin over there," he commented softly.

--I gasped. "What was that?" I demanded, my hand twitching by my stake.

Selim grinned crookedly. "I'll tell you where Doru is, for a price."

My jaw dropped. Just like a royal! Why did I expect anything better from an Ivashkov. Even Adrian had expectations following requests. It was like nothing was free in their minds. I felt like I was dealing with little two year olds again!

"State it," Mischa growled. Her icy eyes were aflame with suppressed fury. I applauded her self-control, but we really didn't have time to bargain with this guy.

"It's a very simple request," Selim simpered. His hand fluttered weakly by his face. "I need you to be absolutely discreet about meeting me."

I snorted. "That's it? No debt for life or a grocery run for more beer or something?"

Selim laughed sharply, making me shudder. "This isn't a joking matter, dear. I'm completely and utterly serious." His eyes bored into mine, and I got the feeling that he _was_ completely serious. It was like the dark bags under his eyes were suddenly sharper and more contrasting with his pale skin. Selim looked tired.

"Okay, we'll keep this a secret," Adrian confirmed. "But why would you want to be so reclusive?" He gestured around the room. "The Ivashkovs have a large family bank. You could be living in the largest New York penthouse if you wanted."

"Maybe I have my own reasons that I'd like to keep from prying little boys with their female harem," Selim snapped, glaring off towards the wall shelf of bottles. His eyes went distant, like he was recalling a past memory.

"I-I-I—" Adrian seemed at a loss for words. I snickered. If you looked at it that way, it was unusual that _two_ female Guardians were his protection.

Selim sighed. "Save it, Adrian." He ran a hand through his hair, pulling out several black hairs in the process. He looked down at his lap and then back at us. "What I'm about to say to you _cannot_ leave this room. And it _absolutely_ cannot reach the Queen's attention."

I tapped my foot loudly. "Enough with the drama. Just tell us."

"Maybe if you toned down the teenage rebellion, then I could tell you faster."

"Thanks for that, old man." Wow, I hadn't met such a sarcastic, black-humored man before.

"Number Two was on to something when she wondered about the chances of having 3 Spirit Users together," Selim started.

"I was?" "She was?" we all asked in unison.

Selim nodded. "I've known about my Spirit powers since I was thirteen years old. And I'm forty-one now. In almost thirty decades, I've met fifty-seven individual Moroi with Spirit, not including you two. I have heard of at least twenty others from these various acquaintances." Selim smiled calmly, juxtaposing the fact that we were all glued to our feet in wonder and anticipation. "Do you think that is all coincidence?

I shook my head, because after 18 years of having teachers ask similar "Do you think this?" questions, I knew what the expected answer was.

"Exactly!" Selim shouted, making us jump. "I've come up with a theory: Spirit users are _inherently _drawn to each other."

A year ago, I would've said, "Bullshit" or something of the sort. But Selim's explanation made sense right now. If Spirit was supposed to be some unknown, rare element that was secret to the Moroi world, then how was it that we kept meeting more people who had it?

"Continue," Lissa whispered. She and Adrian seemed entranced in their spots.

Selim cleared his throat and began to speak again. "Like I said, I've met a lot of Spirit users. And we know things. A thin thread connects us all to each other, so to speak. That's how I met my wife, Vera."

"You're wife?" Christian asked doubtfully. "You don't seem like a married guy to me."

"Thanks for that, boy," Selim retorted. "But yes, I _had_ a wife. Her name was Vera Drozdov. And she was also a Spirit user. Coincidence my ass. I met her because I was drawn to her by our powers."

"That's incredible," Adrian whispered. He looked at Lissa with a new curiosity. "And that would explain why I was drawn to you." A twinge of jealousy flared up inside my belly. I wanted it to be me who he admiring. Out of the corner of my eye, I could tell Christian also felt a little jealousy; he wanted Lissa's attention as much as I wanted Adrian's (although I wouldn't admit it so obviously to myself).

"Wait, there is more to the story," Selim said quickly. "This is the darker part as well."

Our attention turned back to him; we all clearly were riveted by Selim's words.

"Spirit users all have their individual affinities, which I'm sure you've discovered by now." Lissa and Adrian exchanged knowing looks. I knew how much Adrian was irked by the fact he couldn't raise the dead, and Lissa never ceased to ask me if I had seen her in my dreams. "Vera's power was foresight. She sees colors that she reads as fortunes. Two months ago, she saw a blood red flash."

"Are the colors like the colors of auras?" Adrian asked promptly.

Selim nodded. "Exactly. These colors represent outcomes. Any outcomes. For about a week, Vera was edgy. She wouldn't tell me what she thought about her vision, but I could tell it was eating away at her." Selim's face looked downcast. The story was coming to its most likely tragic climax.

"Go on," Mischa urged. Even she was hooked on Selim's words.

"One morning, I woke up and Vera was gone. She had just…vanished. I tried everything I could to find her too." Selim's voice caught. He didn't cry, but his eyes were wet and mournful. "I tried to contact a Spirit user who I knew was an expert in tracking. He didn't answer. I tried his cousin."

"Let me guess, he was also a Spirit user," Christian prompted.

Selim shook his head sadly. "No, he was an Earth affinity Moroi. But the man told me that his cousin had disappeared the week before."

"No," Lissa whispered quietly to herself. Her eyes were wide with shock. Her mind was turning as the puzzle pieces began to click together. All the meanwhile, my mind was also running over the clues.

"Spirit users are disappearing," I breathed, aghast.

Selim took a long swig of his vodka, answering my question. "Like cookies from a cookie jar, I might add," he said bitterly.

"How come no one has noticed?" I demanded feeling outraged. If people were simply disappearing from under our noses, how was it that no one was talking about it.

Lissa touched my arm gently. "Think about it, Rose. Spirit isn't as well known as it is within our school."

"She's right," Selim admitted. "No one can know about this. Our society isn't ready for the revelation of Spirit. A school, maybe. But not an entire population. Subsequently, no connections between the disappearances can be made other than the missing Moroi have turned to Strigoi." His green eyes burned with a frustration that you don't often see in alcoholics. I knew what he was thinking. No doubt it was killing him that his wife was being portrayed in the files as a betrayer to her race.

"I'm so sorry about Vera," Adrian said softlyh.

"It's in the past," Selim replied dismissively. "But at least you now see why you must keep this meeting a secret. It is a wonder that both of you are still safe, but for me, I would like to keep my location as hidden as possible."

"Does Amalia Rinaldi know about this?" Mischa asked.

"I'm assuming no. She believes I'm simply a V.I.P guest here for the booze and a free room for a couple weeks."

I laughed. "Somehow, you break the Ivashkov mold."

"And how many others from my family have you actually met?" Selim asked with a grin.

"Just Adrian, and he's plenty."

"So how do you know I break the mold?"

"I have a gut feeling." I patted my stomach jokingly. Adrian looked at me. Some expression flashed across his face, but it disappeared to that damn neutral mask of his before I could see it well.

Selim smiled gently. "It will _save_ you sometime. I'm sure of it."

My eyebrow rose. He seemed confident in his words. Was it just words of support or something else.

"About Robert Doru," Mischa interrupted. "Could you please tell us where you hid him?" Her mood had lightened considerably, but I knew she was still smarting on the inside from Selim's dry humor.

"I guess I can tell you now." Selim beckoned her to come over. Mischa walked over hesitantly and knelt down she so was level with Selim. Suddenly, Selim had a pen out. He grabbed Mischa's arm and started to write.

"HEY!" Mischa shouted, pulling away, but Selim's grip seemed to be too much for Mischa to break.

"Hold still or you guys will be trekking across New York to find yourself in the boondocks," Selim commanded.

Mischa grumbled something unintelligible but stayed kneeling.

"Right now, I'm righting the directions to the Oaken Way Mental Rehabilitation Center to the south of New York City. I put Robert there for safekeeping," Selim told us.

"He's a nutjob then?" Christian wondered, his eyes drifting off as he imagined his fictitious Robert Doru.

Selim chuckled. "Well, the best of us are. Although I suppose Robert is just a tad better than the rest of us."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Adrian asked, frowning.

Selim gave him a meaningful stare. "Come on, cousin. I didn't give you that monologue for nothing."

"No effing way," Mischa yelled, her face contorted with skepticism.

"Number Two got it. I'm proud of you, Number Two," Selim applauded slowly.

"Doru is a Spirit user," I gasped, seeing the answer written on both of their faces.

"Bingo."

"Shit," I muttered. "And he went crazy?"

"Poor soul. If only we had gotten to him sooner," Selim mused. "He went crazy very quickly. Although I doubt a shadow kissed partner would do him any good." He winked at me. I froze. Now why was I even surprised that he knew I was shadow-kissed. He obviously knew everything else.

When we answered in silence his cryptic message in silence, Selim continued. "You'll see when you get there, but I'll tell you this. If you think I'm good, please feel free to jaw-drop in awe when you see him." With that, he stretched back out onto the couch. I could tell our audience with him was over. Mischa hurried back over to us, touching her grafittied arm angrily.

--

"I'm so sorry that I fell asleep!" Amalia apologized profusely. She beckoned us towards the the cab she had hailed for us. Although we really didn't need it, she insisted.

"It was no problem. We know a club owner's job can be very taxing," I said with fake sincerity. I opened the backseat door. Luckily, the cab was a minivan, so it could fit all five of us.

I pushed us in as fast as possible. For some reason, I was growing to dislike Amalia more and more. It was like that with Mia as well. But I was in no mood to go through a life changing friendship quest with her aunt. I said goodbye one last time before hopping into the front seat of the taxi and ordering the cabby to drive us to our hotel. The flaring lights of the Red Lips nightclub dimmed as we drove away through the heavy New York traffic.

--

Amalia watched the taxi drive out of sight before pulling out her cell phone.

She pressed #2 on her speed dial and pressed the ringing phone to her ear.

"Yes, they met with him," Amalia said over the receiver. "They're heading your way. Be ready." She snapped the phone shut. She sighed disdainfully and walked back inside.

**[[A/N: I hope this extra-long chapter left you with more questions than answers. I was hopefully aiming for this.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: I'm not sure when I can update next. I'm border hopping for Spring Break so I'm not sure if I can squeeze in the time for fanfiction. But I have a feeling I'll have time on the airplane or something.]]**

**Reviews are appreciated and rewarded with balloons, cookies, and teddy bears. No, not really, but wouldn't that be great?**


	22. Déjà Vu

**[[A/N: Hey guys. I kept debating over and over if I should write this next chapter for 2 reasons: 1. I'm on vacation in another country and no matter how much I like writing fanfiction, nothing can really compel me to write more when I'm on break. That's the definition of relaxing, right? Anyway, 2. Hardly anyone commented on the last chapter…wait did anyone comment? If I can't remember who or who didn't, then that means not enough people did!!!]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: COMMENTTTTTT!!!!!]]**

--

I leaned against the connecting door of our Marriott two-bedroom suite. Across the room, Lissa and Christian snored quietly, holding each other in their arms. I stifled the urge to rip them apart, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was just one bed. It was okay. They weren't having sex, not while I was there.

Two soft taps vibrated the door that connected me to Mischa and Christian's room.

I shifted my body a little, letting the door swing open an inch. Through the crack, I could see Mischa's golden hair radiate in the shadows of the dark room.

We sat there in silence for a while, neither one of us willing to talk too much.

Finally, Mischa broke the silence.

"I regret it, you know."

I gave her a sidelong glance. "What?"

"I regret not killing Dimitri back when I had the chance."

"What do you want me to say?" I asked quietly, trying to keep my voice neutral. Part of me understood what she was feeling. Hell, that was what I felt too, back when I had the chance to kill Nathan back in Montana.

"I just wanted to tell you that."

"Anything else you need to say?" I asked sarcastically.

"Yah. You were crap back there in San Francisco."

I smirked. "Funny. I could say the same thing about you."

Mischa glared at me. "The world doesn't revolve around you, Rose. We all can't be your backbone as you mope around grieving about Gregory."

"Who said I was grieving?" I growled stubbornly. "I've gotten over it."

Mischa snorted. "Please. Grief sex with Adrian is not what I call 'getting over it.'" She ran a hand through her hair. "What about Lissa and Christian? When was the last time you just had a nice chat with them? Have you even considered what Gregory is feeling after finding out his aunt is a Strigoi? Did you ever once consider how I found you in the first place? No. Because you are so wrapped up in your own little Rose World."

"Well, I didn't even ask you here in the first place." It was the best comeback I could come up with. I was at a loss for words. No, I hadn't thought about anything. I felt like an ass for letting Mischa tell me I was being an ass.

"Tomorrow, when we find Doru, you need to get a handle on your emotions," Mischa instructed. "It's what's keeping you from succeeding."

"What made you the life coach all of the sudden?" I snapped.

"I know these things. I have control of my emotions. I know what I want, but I'm not going to let setbacks cloud my vision."

"Great to know I'm getting advice from someone who wants to kill the man I'm trying to save," I commented sarcastically.

"I'm not sorry about my mission. I'll kill him if I see him again. I don't care about this mission of yours."

"I think we established that." I put my hand protectively over my stake. I hadn't told Mischa yet that it was a product of her mother's handicraft.

Mischa poked me in the arm.

"What?" I growled, feeling rather impatient at her constant chattering. At the moment, I felt the sudden urge to go sit at the other end of the room.

"Do you ever hear voices?"

I froze. "Voices?" I laughed awkwardly.

Mischa shrugged, pushing her side of the door open wider. I could see her green eyes look steadily at me. "My mother's voice keeps yelling at me." She laughed quietly. "At me! Because I hesitated in San Francisco. She used to tell me that hesitation is my worst enemy."

I blinked twice. It was like I was looking at myself from two and a half months ago…Mischa was me in essence. It was like looking in a mirror. I saw all the revenge and determination I had when I went to Russia, except now it was in Mischa, and it was directed at the man I was risking my life and future on saving. But I realized I pitied Mischa. She was letting herself drown in her revenge to the point it was taking over her life. I wondered if her breakup with Eddie was really behind this all.

Suddenly, I felt her head clunk against my shoulder. I glanced uneasily down at her sleeping figure. Her breathing was deep and repetitive.

"Mischa," I whispered, "you need to wake up." I shook her a little. "Sleeping isn't in our agenda."

She didn't awaken.

"Mischa," I hissed, pushing her off my shoulder in frustration. What a girl. I thought she was a hardworker, or at least had some work _ethic_.

Mischa slumped to the ground, her body a limp pile.

Something wasn't right. I shook Mischa's shoulder again. "Wake up," I urged worriedly. Mischa was out. And I meant really, really out. She wouldn't wake up. It wasn't just exhaustion. Just a minute ago, Mischa was completely awake, most likely fueled on the thought of pure vengeance alone.

The door clicked. I froze. It was the front room door.

"Shit!" I yelled, side rolling to my feet. I jumped up, my stake out.

The door open so casually, I could barely believe that it was Dimitri who strode in so casually.

My mind raced. My partner was unconscious. For some reason, and I had a slight inkling that it was because of the same reason, the two lovebirds in bed were still asleep.

"Roza, it's good to see you again," he murmured. He looked the same as San Francisco. His skin glinted with an odd reddish flush.

"Good morning to you too," I said darkly. "Great day to walk in the sunlight."

"Wow, that's harsh, Roza," Dimitri feigned astonishment.

I pointed the stake at him then at Mischa. "Did you do that?"

"Me?" Dimitri asked. He grinned, his fangs shining dangerously. "No not me. Him, yes." He turned around, so confident that I wouldn't take the opportunity to stake him. I ground my teeth. Dimitri murmured something to someone outside the door and pulled a man in.

It was a Moroi man, middle age, short, dressed in a ragged brown trench coat and yellow sandals. His face was gaunt with blood deprivation. The bags around his bright blue eyes told me he probably was going off a week of no blood.

"He put Mischa to sleep?" I exclaimed. "No way."

"Spirit users have all sorts of gifts, Roza," Dimitri murmured, petting the Moroi's head like he was a pet. "Something I'm just realizing has its benefits."

Spirit users…what did Selim tell us back at the club? Spirit users were disappearing. His wife Vera and that tracker Moroi were proof. Was this man among the disappearances? His power reminded me of Lissa's act of putting Amalia to sleep. Except it seemed like where Lissa could only do it for a couple minutes, this guy was specialized in it.

"You seem to believe me now," Dimitri remarked. He smiled, approaching me. Again, I felt that electric desire to reach out and touch him. The burning pull of lust and love flared inside my chest, making my heart race faster.

"I—I—" I stuttered, feeling embarrassed.

"Roza, I will kill you now, but because I love you so much, I'll make it as painless as possible." Dimitri's face was an inch from mine. His hand grabbed my wrist, squeezing it tightly. I gasped, his grip causing me to drop the stake to the floor. I tried to pull away, but I realized I couldn't move.

"What!" I yelled. My body wouldn't obey me! It was stuck.

Dimitri smiled. His lips touched my cheeks. They were icy cold ice cubes that trailed down my jaw line to my neck.

_I'm really going to die here. Here! And I'm so close! I know where Doru is! I can save Dimitri! I need more time. MORE DAMN TIME!_ I thought hysterically. _MOVE ARM! MOVE!_

"I love you, Roza." Dimitri murmured. I could feel his fangs drag against my skin.

"Wait! WAIT!" I screamed, not knowing what else to say.

"STOP!" I felt a huge force knock into my side, pushing Dimitri and me to the ground.

"Shit," I cursed, automatically moving my arms to protect my head. Then I realized that I could actually move my arms. I struggled quickly back up to my feet.

I stared in horror at the scene before me. It had been Adrian who had knocked me out of the way. But now, he was against the wall, trying to keep Dimitri from strangling him.

"What happened?" Dimitri growled, and I realized he was talking to the scrawny Moroi huddling against the door.

"I can o-o-only bind four people. The gi-gi-girl is too many," the Moroi stuttered. I did the math in my head. Lissa, Christian, Adrian, and Mischa made four. I was the fifth. When he had focused his powers on me, he had left Adrian out of the spell.

"Worthless piece of trash," Dimitri spat. He pressed Adrian harder into the wall. My eyes widened in shock. I moved forward to grab the stake off the floor, but I realized my feet had frozen back again. I glared at the man by the door. He shrunk underneath my gaze, shrinking into his oversized trench.

"Rose!" Adrain gasped, kicking his foot uselessly into Dimitri's chest.

"What's going on here?" Lissa demanded groggily. She rubbed her eyes. The Moroi was distracted. He was trying to spread his power to five people, juggling between Adrian, the others, and me.

"LISSA, DO SOMETHING!" I yelled frantically. "COMPEL THE MOROI! HE'S A SPIRIT USER!"

My screaming seemed to shock Lissa into awareness. She leapt out of bed, her gaze pointed at the Moroi. I felt the air between them quiver with magic, just like when she was trying to compel Selim into revealing Robert Doru's location. This time, I felt Lissa's own compulsion breaking down the Moroi's barriers. But the man was unusually hardy. He fought back, sweat dripping down his temples.

In the confusion, I realized the Moroi was using most of his power to fend off Lissa's attack, leaving my own limbs free again. I charged forward. By the looks of how blue Adrian's face was, I guessed he was on the verge of asphyxiation. I grabbed Dimitri's waist and used my own momentum to push him down to the floor. I felt like I was running into a brick wall, but at least my intervention provided enough room for Adrian to squeeze out of Dimitri's grasp.

Adrian gasped for breath on all fours. But I was pleasantly surprised that it took him less than a second to get back on his feet. He took one glance at Lissa and then back at the man. His gaze narrowed. I realized he was helping Lissa overpower the Moroi.

But now Dimitri was my problem.

"Roza, this is the fight I've been waiting for," he growled, tossing me off him. I landed on my elbow. I yelped as a shock ripped up my arm through my funny bone.

_Get a grip, Rose_, I told myself. I jumped to my feet. My silver stake glinted on the ground about ten feet away. Unfortunately, it was much closer to Dimitri than I was. I instantly regretted not picking it up on my way to stop Adrian from suffocating to death.

"Leave it," Dimitri advised. "I've taught you how to improvise before."

"Improvise. Right," I muttered. I heard a sharp cry. The Moroi collapsed to his knees, grasping his head. His howls were painfully sharp. Lissa and Adrian looked wiped out. But then I realized. Lissa could…

"Lissa!" I screamed.

Lissa looked at me in the eyes, and she knew what I wanted. Before Dimitri could react she scrambled over to my stake. Her fingers grasped onto the silver base, and that's when I took my chance. I ran forward again, grabbing Dimitri around his waist. My hugged him tightly but waved my hand out to her. "Hand it to me," I hissed. "Hurry!"

Dimitri's hands gripped my shoulders tightly, ready to rip me off (with a great possibility of also tearing my shoulders from my body), but just as I felt his iron hard grip dig deeply into my clavicles, it slackened.

"Die, bastard," Mischa whispered, tears streaming from her wild eyes. Something wet trickled onto my head. I gasped, looking up. Before seeing it, I knew.

My stake protruded sharply from Dimitri's chest. The silver etched designs were dripping with wet blood. I fell back onto my ass, unable to take in what I saw. Dimitri exhaled sharply, clawing at the stake, but Mischa refused to let him push it out.

I could only look helplessly. Behind them, Lissa sat dazedly, her hands still half open from Mischa grabbing the stake out of her hands.

"Dimitri," I whispered.

He gave me a peculiar look. "Déjà vu." His lips tripped over the words as the life began to seep out of his eyes.

"DIE ALREADY!" Mischa yelled, kicking him in the back.

Dimitri collapsed onto the carpeted floor, crumpled in a heap. And all I could think of was Russia. Why was I thinking about that? I reasoned it was because, for the second time, Dimitri's live had been taken before my very eyes, and I was helpless.

**[[A/N: Comment. :P Cookies await you at the end of the review process.]]**


	23. Second Chance

**[[A/N: Thanks to everyone who commented on the last chapter. It made me happy that you guys read the author's notes that I dedicated to asking people to comment.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Let's see. I'm on an airplane. Well, I've actually written this chapter on two airplanes since I had a layover. But anyway, on the first plane I had to deal with keyboard-messing turbulence. The second plane now has a baby that cries every 10 minutes, no joke. ]]**

**[[3****rd**** A/N: I hope you enjoy this chapter. Don't worry. I read all of your comments, so I know that I killed DimitrixRose supporters last chapter. Hahaha.]]**

--

My mind was in a state of pure shock. Nothing seemed to process. My vision was a tunnel, only seeing Dimitri.

I crawled over to his body, shaking. Last time, when I thought I'd pushed him to his death off the bridge in Russia, I didn't have time to feel any shock. I'd felt it, sure, but I was a little preoccupied with trying to get back to civilization. And I wasn't witness to his bloody, undead (now dead undead) body. Even in death, I could still admire Dimitri's godlike face. Funny how my mind took these random tangents at a time like this.

I heard Mischa fall to her knees, sobbing. She was muttering something. I wasn't really paying attention, but I was pretty sure she was saying something about her mother and something about God's prayers.

"Dimitri," I whispered, pulling the stake out of his chest. The wound began to bleed profusely, covering my palms with sticky, crimson blood.

"Rose, let go," Lissa urged. She was beside me, trying to pry the stake out of my hand. I had a flash of déjà vu to the hour after Mason's death. Except now it was Lissa who was trying to cajole me into letting go and not Dimitri. Because Dimitri was dead.

"It was all for nothing," I mumbled bitterly. I put my hand on his cold chest. I felt a bumpy ridge just an inch above the wound…where I had stabbed him. Funny…I thought I hadn't missed by that much.

"Rose," Lissa repeated. "Stop it. Please. You'll only beat yourself up more." Her voice didn't penetrate the thick cloud of grief I'd built around my mind. I couldn't hear her words. A part of me yelled at me to pay attention to my best friend who was trying to comfort me, but I reasoned she didn't know anything about what I was going through, thus she didn't deserve my attention. And so, I dove back down into a dark sea of pain.

"Liss, just let her be for a minute," Christian murmured sleepily. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see he had woken up. Besides having a case of bedhead that I would normally take the utmost pleasure in pointing out, he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. I supposed that one would normally look like that if they'd woken up to a dead Strigoi ten feet in front of them.

I placed both hands on Dimitri's chest, not caring that I was getting blood all over my hands. Yes, let the two lovebirds alone. I wouldn't have that ever. Adrian didn't want me, so who else was there? Maybe God decided to play the irony card; maybe I would go live my life out in a convent, marrying myself to God as they say. _Enough_! I told myself. I shut off my thoughts, putting my head down on Dimitri's chest. I closed my eyes, wishing so badly that I could redo the entire night.

I froze.

_No…impossible._

I sat up, my eyes wide. I leaned over putting my ear to Dimitri's face.

"What are you doing?" Mischa demanded, looking up from her clasped hands. So I was right. She was praying.

"Shuttup," I spat. I had no patience for the girl anymore. Part of me still wanted to kill her. Adrian looked at me pityingly. I didn't need his sympathy, nor did I want it.

There! I heard it. I counted to three. And I felt it too! The shallow inhale and exhale of air. It was music to my ears.

"Alive…" I whispered.

"Excuse me?" Mischa demanded.

"He's…alive," I repeated, not believing it. I placed my hand on his cold neck., searching his carotid artery for any sign of life.

"Not possible," Mischa exclaimed, her beautiful face twisting with disbelief and rage.

_Thump…Thump…Thump…_The painfully slow heart pumped underneath my fingers.

"HOLY CRAP! HE IS ALIVE!" I shouted. I reached behind me, grabbing the bed sheets. I yanked them off as fast as I could. He was alive, but just barely. Having a gaping hole in his chest that continued to spurt out blood would not help his recovery. I wadded up the sheets and pressed them to his chest.

Mischa scrambled over to Dimitri's body. I gave her a sharp look. "Touch him and you're dead." I meant what I said. I wasn't about to give her a second chance at her crazed sense of redemption.

"I just want to check," she snarled. She placed her hand on his neck. Five seconds passed. My muscles tensed, ready to leap on her if she made a move to kill him.

"Shit!" Mischa cussed. "He _is_ alive!"

"You missed his heart?" Adrian asked skeptically, looking at Mischa edgily.

"I didn't miss," Mischa said defensively, sitting on her ass. She looked resigned and hurt. I could understand her feelings. She'd put her heart and soul into staking Dimitri. Missing could really suck. I knew that first hand. "He dodged."

Christian snorted. "In other words, you missed." Mischa shot him a dirty look, but she made no move to get up.

The tears didn't stop falling. But I was pretty sure they were tears of relief. I still had a chance.

"Lissa, can you heal him?" I asked quietly.

Lissa looked nervous. She looked tentatively at Dimitri's unconscious body. "I'm not sure," she confessed. "I've never healed a Strigoi body before."

"Please try," I pleaded.

"I wouldn't if I were you," Tasha remarked, leaning against the doorway. We all jumped. No one had really been paying attention to security. We'd all naively assumed that it was just Dimitri and the Moroi, who amusingly had fainted in the corner.

"Aunt Tasha," Christian breathed, looking pained. Mischa's words floated back to me. I really hadn't talked to Christian after San Francisco. It was _his_ aunt that had killed Gregory after all. I felt like such a bitch for thinking everything was peachy. He sure hadn't seemed too upset, or maybe I had just been too wrapped up in Rose World that I didn't notice. Lissa hadn't told me, but that was no excuse.

"Later, Christian," Tasha said tersely. She strode over to Dimitri's body confidently. I didn't blame her. Neither Mischa nor I were in any condition to fight. It was like staking Dimitri had taken the energy out of both of us. Tasha bent down, stroking Dimitri's face with a well-manicured nail.

"Dimka, Dimka, Dimka, you rush things," Tasha scolded, as if he could hear her. She tilted her head towards me. At such a close distance, I realized her scars had all but disappeared. I wondered how that was possible. My first guess was Spirit.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, still keeping the pressure on Dimitri's chest. The blood was beginning to seep through the sheets.

"I'm here to help you, as allies do," Tasha told me. Her gaze flickered to the stake I had tossed across the room. "You'll be wanting that."

I followed her eyes to the stake. "Why?"

"To stab Dimka, of course."

I snorted. "Right, because that's going to save him. Staking him again."

Tasha smiled calmly. "Precisely." She sounded so sure in her words that I almost believed her. She looked at Adrian, who was closest to it. "Go get it," she ordered.

Adrian shook his head, his face reflecting the fear and nervous adrenaline that was probably pumping through his blood stream at the moment.

She looked at me tiredly. "Order your boyfriend to go get the stake," she told me. "I think he has trouble taking orders from a Strigoi."

"Most people would," I muttered. _Wait…did she say boyfriend? Focus, Rose. That's not important right now. _"But you haven't answered my question. How does sticking a stake back into Dimitri help him?"

Tasha sighed. "You really need all the answers instantaneously. What's wrong with just putting a little faith in me?"

"This isn't a soap opera so cut the crap," I snapped. "We're on a time limit here."

"You can be so impatient, Rose." She pointed at the spot I was pressing. "The stake nicked his heart. It looks to me that Dimitri dodged enough to avoid taking a full hit so he's recovering…but slowly." I could see Mischa stick her tongue out at Christian, who in return, gave her the finger. I was taking care of children, geez.

"And?"

"And, what makes a stake so potent?"

I was back in Dhampir Tactics 101 again, listening to the professor prattle on about Moroi magic and whatnot.

"They're charmed by Moroi magic that is so full of life. To a Strigoi who has affinities to the dead, because in essence they are dead, the stake's lifeblood magic is poison," I stated. I knew the definition by heart. If anything, that was the one thing I took from that class.

Tasha clapped. "Bravo. Now, what do you think is needed to turn Dimitri back into a Dhampir?"

"Well that's what we're finding Robert Doru for," Lissa told her.

"Yes, well make an educated guess. What do you think he's going to do?"

"Use Spirit," I shot.

Tasha nodded slowly. "Exactly. Now if I'm correct, he'll use the stake as a medium to push Spirit into Dimitri's body. Spirit is, in itself, the most life giving of all the Moroi elements."

"But why can't Lissa do it then?" Christian wondered.

Tasha smiled at her nephew. "Do you think Lissa is as powerful as Robert Doru?" She said the name with such reverence, you had to believe that he was a pretty badass lunatic. Christian bit his lip, looking away. The more I thought about it, the more I kept beating myself up. It was so clear he was torn about his aunt's transformation, it was a wonder I hadn't noticed it before.

"So we stab Dimitri again, have Doru use Spirit, and Dimitri will be saved?" I asked.

"If all goes well, then yes."

"Why are you helping us?"

Tasha gave me a peculiar look. "I told you."

"You told me you wanted to be my ally, and you were evasive when you said it. So spill."

"Can't you just be satisfied with that as an answer."

"I want the whole truth."

"You're like Dimka like that," Tasha smiled. She motioned the stake. "After you save him, I want you to save me."

"What?" we all repeated, even Mischa who had been silent for the entire time, wallowing in her deserved failure.

"Honestly, I want to be turned back."

"Into a Moroi?" I specified.

"That's correct."

"But why?" Christian demanded. "Strigoi don't ever regret their awakening."

"Well rules are made to be broken, Christian. You should know," Tasha chuckled.

"But _why_ do you regret it when 100% of all the other Strigoi don't."

Tasha shrugged. "Does it really matter?" I guess it didn't. "I just want to rid myself of this curse. And I needed you as an ally to get Victor to reveal the location of his brother."

"So you had me become your ally so I could do all the dirty work," I finished darkly.

"You make it sound so bad," Tasha drawled.

"Because it is."

She laughed, her voice ringing with that surefire Strigoi confidence. In so many ways, I could still see the secure, self-assured Moroi maverick royal who proposed that Moroi magic be used in combat. But for some reason, those blood red eyes just always through me off.

I sighed. Nothing about this plan seemed right, but my gut told me to go for it. I looked at Adrian. "Get the stake," I murmured.

"Are you sure?" he asked worriedly. I studied his expression again. Where was that pity and sympathy I'd seen before? All I saw now was anxiety, worry, and something else. But I didn't bother trying to decipher Adrian's emotions when my hands were getting wet again with Adrian's blood. Luckily, his heart was pumping slowly enough that the blood wasn't gushing everywhere.

I nodded. Adrian grabbed the silver stake and handed it to me.

"Is that…" Mischa stared at the stake in shock. She hadn't seen the base very well before she stabbed it into Dimitri's chest.

"It's one of your mother's," I said.

Mischa laughed hysterically. "That's so…ironic." She wiped her eyes of the tears. "Isn't it? Using my mother's stake to stab her killer to keep him alive."

"You're statement of the obvious is appreciated," I said flatly. I took the stake from Adrian with one hand and looked down at my other.

"Do you need help?" he asked.

I looked up at him. Adrian smiled weakly at me. Just seeing him smile at me again filled me with a certain warmth that I hadn't felt since coming to New York.

"No," I told him, "I'm good." I looked back at Dimitri's chest. I had to be extremely careful when I put the stake back in. If I hit his heart, it was all over. He would die, and I wouldn't get a second chance. Taking a deep breath, I peeled back the wad of bloody covers.

The wound was still as wide and raw as it had been five minutes ago, but I could tell it was healing.

"This goes against everything I've been doing until now, in so many ways," I grumbled, gripping the stake tighter in my hands. My knuckles whitened around the carved grip. One, I would have to _stab_ Dimitri with the one thing that could kill him, even though I'd been trying to save his ass since he turned Strigoi. Two, I'd have to _miss_ hitting his heart when I'd been training for two and a half months to hit it. And three, I was doing this all on the shady words of Tasha Ozera!

"You can do this," Adrian told me confidently, putting a steady hand on my shoulder. I exhaled deeply. "I can do this," I repeated. I placed the stake over the whole. I'd have to miss. Now my life—figuratively or literally I had no idea—depended on missing this shot. Mischa was right. This sure was ironic.

"Would counting to three help?" Adrian asked gently. _Damn his voice is so sexy…FOCUS! _I nodded quickly putting the stake an inch above the wound.

"One…"

I gulped. It was now or never. I raised the stake into the air and brought it down again, testing the aim. I didn't even know if this would work…but I had to believe it would.

"Two…"

If I missed, I would never forgive myself. I thought I had prepared myself for this moment. I knew if the Doru thing didn't work, staking Dimitri for real would be the next alternative…

"Three…"

So I couldn't miss.

**[[A/N: So…Dimitri is alive…for now. MWHAHAHA! Okay I'm really, super absolutely annoyed because the baby is right across the plane from me and right now his parents are not doing anything to shut him up! I probably sound harsh, but you have no idea how early I got up this morning to get on the plane…]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Comments are welcome! I read all of them, even if I don't respond to all. :D]]**


	24. Robert Doru

**[[A/N: NOTICE!!!!: I'm writing a new VA fanfiction about the teenage Janine Hathaway meeting Abe. It's not action at all. It has…one Strigoi battle? Mostly it deals with romance between the two and you get to see how similar Janine was to Rose before the series began. I hope you guys will read it when I get to publishing it! I might even go ahead and post the first chapter in a couple days.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: Lots of suspense in the last chapter. Don't worry, I've had the ending of this story planned out for a while, so I didn't make any spontaneous changes.]]**

**--**

I cringed, feeling the stake slip easily into Dimitri's chest.

The whole room was crackling with unbearable tension. Even Mischa was holding her breath, staring intently at me with her wide green eyes. Although, I couldn't be sure if she was wishing I missed or wishing I succeeded. Either way, it was awkward.

Dimitri screamed, feeling the blazing life of the stake get dangerously close to his heart once again. His eyes snapped open. Making one last ditch attempt to grab me, the one with the stake in her hand, his crimson eyes met mine.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, pushing the stake in further.

His screams increased for a moment. I was surprised, yet unsurprised, that no one had come to check on us. Sure, we were in the penthouse, but hotels weren't exactly known for having soundproof walls. Something told me Tasha Ozera was behind the rare privacy.

"Is he alive?" Lissa squeaked, unclasping her shaking hands from Christian's shirt.

I slowly let go of the stake and put my hand on Dimitri's chest. I had to wait longer this time. The rise and fall of his chest was so miniscule, I wasn't sure if it was just my shaking that was causing it.

"I think so," I said tentatively. "I think I did it." I exhaled loudly with relief.

"Okay, chop-chop. Off to Doru you go now," Tasha said excitedly, clapping her hands.

I glared at her. "You aren't coming along?"

"Please. If Dimitri happens to wake up, I'm the only one who can restrain him."

"I'm not about to leave you alone with him."

Tasha grinned wickedly. "You think I'll seduce him?"

"The thought occurred to me," I retorted. I stood up slowly, cracking my back. "So I'm going to leave Mischa and Christian here."

"Hey!" the exclaimed.

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. It still shook violently from shock. "I need you two to watch Dimitri. You're too exhausted to do anything and I can't have you blowing up the place with fire if you get scared," I told Mischa and Christian respectively.

Mischa's face reddened, but she bit her tongue. I was a little surprised. I'd expected more of a fight from her, but the night's events seemed to have made her a little more docile.

"Great," I said tiredly. I really wished I could've slept an extra hour or two. Glancing down at Dimitri's body, I gulped a little. "Lissa, Adrian, go get a blood bag and get changed. We're leaving in ten minutes."

--

We took the fifteen-minute taxi ride to the Oaken Way Mental Rehabilitation Center. The taxi ride was silent. None of us really felt like talking. I could feel Adrian's eyes bore into my back though…I probably owed him some sort of explanation. But hell, I didn't really feel like it.

"We're here," the taxi driver told us. "That'll be twenty bucks."

_Expensive. Cheapskate_. "Here." I tossed the money into the front passenger seat and scrambled out. I heard Lissa apologize quickly before exiting behind Adrian.

The cab drove off, leaving us in a cloud of exhaust gas, facing a building that just screamed "BACK OFF."

It was pretty ironic that the places that were built to mentally rehabilitate their patients usually looked like slaughterhouses from horror movies. The gate entryway was the typical, haunted house metal gate. The black, wrought iron flowers the adorned the spiked tops were the only reminders of what former glory the place had a century ago.

"Do we just walk in?" Lissa asked tentatively. "Just like that?"

"I guess so," I said. I walked up to the gate and shook it a little. Creaking loudly on rusted hinges, the gate swung open.

"Isn't it common knowledge not to enter places with rusted gates and ominous jailhouse buildings?" Adrian asked rhetorically, looking up and down the street.

"Man up," I said. "We're not going to turn back now." I grabbed his and Lissa's wrists and pulled them behind me as I marched up the cobbled path to the front door of the clinic.

The grubby glass windows didn't even have a speck of shine anymore. Pushing my hand into my sweater, I pushed open the disgusting door handle slowly. Like the gate, the hinges were squeaky with rust.

We all hurried inside, eager to get a glimpse of the mysterious mental clinic.

Surprisingly, the inside of the place wasn't so bad. When I say, not so bad, I mean in comparison to the outside. The lobby had the typical linoleum tile ceilings and floors. Shoddy wooden tables with magazines were set up in front of a plethora of mismatched chairs. A large desk sat in the middle of the floor.

I walked up to it and saw an old lady typing furiously on a decrepit computer. I coughed into my fist to get her attention.

"Can I help you?" she croaked, looking up at me through her clouded spectacles.

I opened my mouth, but Adrian interrupted me. "Yes, we'd like a tour of the facilities here."

The old lady nodded and began to type into the computer for some random reason. "Yes. Yes. Yes. Are you considering sending someone you know here?"

Adrian grinned that debonair smile of his. But I doubted his charm and grace would work on someone who looked older than his grandmother. "Yah, her name is Tatiana. She's an old bat and quite frankly is in need of personal care, if you get what I'm saying."I nearly choked on my laughter. Holding it in, I turned around and smiled. Adrian's reference to the Queen Bitch was just what I needed to brighten my day up.

"Alright, come with me young man. I'll give you a tour."

Adrian thanked her and quickly leaned into my ear. "Use this chance to get into the computer and find Doru," he hissed before following the woman down the hall.

As soon as they were out of sight, Lissa and I took to hacking the computer. I sat down in the old lady's chair. The thing in front of me looked ancient. It was a box, not a computer. I grabbed the mouse and directed myself to the desktop. Pixilated file folders crowded the screen.

"This is going to take _forever_," I grumbled, trying to type "Doru" or "Patients" into the keyboard, but the screen kept freezing.

"How did she do it?" Lissa wondered, mystified. "She was typing so fast when we got here."

"She has old lady powers," I answered, half-believing myself. I finally located a file called "Rooms." Opening it up, I was directed to a list of files ordered by room numbers, split into 100-200, 300-400, and 500.

I opened them all up, and not to my surprise, the computer froze. I raised my fist to hit the thing with my hand, but Lissa caught me. "Relax," she said calmly.

"How does she do it?" I growled crazily. "She really does have magic."

Lissa chuckled. "I'm pretty sure it's just immeasurable patience that old people are gifted with."

"Damn her."

After another minute of waiting, the word documents finally opened up. I scanned through each one, looking for the name Robert Doru. There were a lot of room numbers to search through, and after searching through the 100-200 and 300-400 files, I believed that I'd reached a dead end.

Scanning the 500 rooms file, I finally found him. I found his name listed in room 555 under the name R. D. Ivashkov.

"Why is he listed under Adrian's last name?" Lissa asked, looking over my shoulder.

"My guess is because Selim Ivashkov is the one who registered him," I said, scribbling down the room number onto my palm. I shut down the computer screen and stood up. "Okay let's go quickly."

We ran off towards the stairwell. Five flights of stairs…just murderous thinking about it. I could do it, but I wondered if Lissa had the stamina.

"If you need to slow down, just tell me."

She glared at me. "I'll be fine. Let's go."

We both ran up the stairs. After the third flight of stairs, the running got to be monotonous. The unbridled exercise was a great feeling. I hadn't really done this much running since San Francisco, so it felt good to be running again. Behind me, Lissa's panting breath made me realize she probably wasn't experiencing the same endorphin rush as me.

We arrived at the fifth floor. Lissa clasped me on her shoulder with a heavy breath, but her look of determination told me she didn't want to slow me down. I smiled and looked at the sign directory in front of me. Room 555 was to my right. I helped Lissa down the hall until we were in front of the fated door.

I couldn't believe it. After so much time spent searching for Doru, I finally found him. He was there…in front of me. Well, he was behind the door. I couldn't wait. I grabbed the door handle and pushed in.

I entered into what could best be described as a cell. Yes, jail cell. It was a 10 by 10 room with a cot, bed, and grated windows. Typical. But where was the patient?

"Rose," Lissa whispered, pointing at the corner of the room adjacent to the door.

A scrawny Moroi man in his late forties was huddled in the corner. His frail, thin body was dressed in ugly yellow scrubs. From his balding heady, I could just barely get a glimpse of the thinning, black hair. He looked up at me. His face, while wrinkly and old, had the same Dashkov chin. He was definitely Robert Doru.

"Y-Y-You…" he whispered, his voice hoarse from disuse.

"Are you Robert Doru?" I asked quietly.

He grinned sillily. "I know who I am. I am me. And you are you. We are."

"We?" I proposed edgily. He nodded gravely, suddenly solemn.

"He's a nut," Lissa stated nervously. In her eyes, she saw herself. She saw everything that could happen to her, or would've happened to her if she hadn't revived me after the car crash.

"He didn't have someone like me," I told her comfortingly, patting her shoulder gently.

Robert unfolded his limbs. They were shockingly thin, like the arms you see on a "What's the day today?"

"Today is the day to leave this hellhole," I told him, reaching down to pull him up.

"NO!" Robert yelled, recoiling from my touch. His voice had such power. I could feel him literally rejecting me with his soul. It was like I was suddenly moving through mud. That was new.

I looked back at Lissa. "Selim wasn't kidding. He's powerful."

Lissa's eyes narrowed. Through our bond, I could feel her anger begin to boil under her skin. She easily let her emotions begin to fuel her Spirit magic. She pushed forward at Robert with her compulsion, mentally ordering him to stand up.

Instead, Robert simply laughed it off like the pressure was nothing. "You're kin," he babbled giddily.

Lissa opened and closed her mouth in shock like a fish. "Nothing," she breathed. "It did nothing."

"Screw this," I muttered. "Screw Spirit." I rushed forward, faster than Robert could react to. I raised my hand and slapped him in the face. His head hit the wall with a sickening thud. In a matter of seconds, Robert's eyes rolled back into his head in a dead faint.

"Why'd you do that?" Lissa demanded.

"You think this loon would cooperate?"

"Well—no."

"And that's why."

I heaved Robert's body over my shoulder. His body weighed 50 pounds max. I grunted, shifting him so his waist was on my shoulder bone. Lissa hurried to push open the door. Taking a deep breath, I charged forward, running out the door and towards the stairway.

"What about Adrian?" Lissa asked worriedly as she ran behind me.

I'd already thought of that. "When we get outside, use as much Spirit as you can. It'll alert him to our location." Robert began to stir on my shoulders. I was shocked. It must've been his Spirit that allowed him to wake up so fast. As we were running down the flights of stairs, I leaned over, ramming his head into the metal support poles. He grunted dumbly, falling into another lapse of unconsciousness.

"This is going to be a long day," I breathed wearily.

We reached the lobby. I halted a stop, glancing around the corner to the receptionist's desk. She was still gone, meaning Adrian was still stalling her.

"Go," I hissed at Lissa. She sped forward without a word, aiming for the exit. I followed her, trying to be as stealthy as possible.

As Lissa exited the building, she closed her eyes and began to draw upon her Spirit powers. I could feel her concentration and worry through our bond. It reverberated into my mind, rubbing off a little. On my shoulders, Robert made a funny sound. "Spirit," he murmured. I shifted him on my shoulders. He still was unconscious but somehow still aware of Lissa's power.

"This guy scares the crap out of me," I admitted. Lissa smiled thinly. I didn't want to think about how much Robert scared her. He was a sign of everything that could happen to her if she wasn't careful.

We proceeded to wait outside the gate of the compound. Ten minutes later, Adrian rushed out, looking left and right frantically for us.

"You got out," I said with relief, grasping his arm firmly.

Adrian grinned. "Thank god, huh."

"How was the tour?" I asked, looking anxiously up and down the streets. It was still dark out, meaning a Strigoi attack was very possible. And with Robert Doru slung on my shoulder, I wasn't in the best fighting condition.

"I got a Saw IV mixed with The Ring vibe if that answers your question." Adrian looked at Robert curiously. "Is this him?"

"Yah," I said confidently. Lissa waved at us hurriedly; a taxi sat stalled in front of her. Adrian and I rushed over to us. He got into the front passenger seat, while Lissa, Robert, and I squished in to the backseat.

"I don't want to know, do I?," the taxi driver growled at us, referring to Robert. It was an odd site to see. Three teenagers jumping into a taxi with what appeared to be a fainted runaway from the mental rehab center.

"No you don't," I told him strictly. "Now drive."

The cab accelerated, pushing me back into the seat. The steady thrumming vibrations lulled me into a relaxed nap, but I had one hand gripping Robert's thin wrist and the other wrapped around my stake.

**[[A/N: Not too many chapters left! I'm trying to wrap this part of the story quickly before Spirit Bound comes out to stores and a whole new wave of continuation stories is released. Warning: This plot will end in a cliffhanger. I don't plan to change that fact. Since I don't plan on making the JaninexAbe fanfiction as lengthy as this one, I hope to release the sequel (involving Dimitri's vampire army and the lost Spirit users) to this story quickly. ]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: As always, I read all reviews, although I don't respond to many of them. Please comment!]]**


	25. Where is Forever?

**[[A/N: Here is another shameless self-promotional bit. Check out the first chapter of my JaninexAbe fanfiction on my profile. Don't be fooled by the quick summary and go read the full one on the first chapter.]]**

**[[2****nd**** A/N: ****READ THIS****: This. Dun Dun. Will be my last chapter for a while. ****It is not the end of the story!**** DUN DUN DUN! I'll end it on a cliffhanger to keep you guys "happy," but for now, I'm going to be turning my attention to my other stories. Thanks for all the super awesome support!]]**

**--**

How to sneak an escaped a nutjob into a classy penthouse sweet 101.

1. Don't let him anywhere near the very pompous bellhop waiting outside the lobby.

2. Just don't let him near the lobby in general.

3. Use the very convenient back door.

4. Actually, scratch that. Just use the fire escape.

And so that's how we did it. Yes, that meant climbing up twenty-five floors of the hotel to the penthouse escape.

Twenty. Five. Luckily, Robert Doru seemed plenty happy to ride piggyback on me. He didn't struggle, but the mumbled laughing became a real pain. I was definitely out of breath by the time I reached the penthouse window.

I had only knocked twice when Christian swung the window open.

"Get in here!" he hissed, ushering us into the hotel room quickly. I stumbled uneasily through the narrow window, hitting Robert's head on the window frame as I entered. Although in retrospect, a concussion probably wouldn't have affected him that much.

Dimitri was still on the floor, and to my great relief, his chest was still barely rising and falling in labored breath. On one side of the room, Mischa sat with her stake squeezed between her two hands. Her eyes glinted dangerously as she stared at Tasha, sitting casually on the vanity on the other side of the room. The air between them was almost crackling with the evident tension.

"Are you the mediator or something?" I asked Christian wryly.

"Unfortunately, yes. It's an awkward situation I'm in," he confessed.

"I can't believe you left me here with this bitch," Mischa snarled at me.

"You aren't exactly a daisy either," Tasha snapped.

I snorted. "Hopefully, we can get this done and over with and you guys won't have to even see each other anymore."

I walked over to Dimitri's body and carefully set Robert Doru's on the ground beside him. The crazy Moroi stared blankly at Dimitri.

"Can you save him?" I asked impatiently, pointing.

Robert shrugged. "Maybe I can. Maybe I can't."

"Look, if you don't—"

"No use getting angry at him, Rose."

I glared at Tasha. "What do you mean?"

"He's obviously insane," Tasha speculated. "Think of it like riding a bike. You never forget how, but if you don't do it in a long time, often times you need someone to push you along for momentum. In this case, it's like riding a bike on grass…it'll take a very large jumpstart."

"So he needs motivation?"

"He needs magic." Tasha pointed at Lissa and Adrian and the cowering Moroi who was still in the corner (I hadn't even noticed him). "He needs their magic."

"How do you know that?" I demanded. "Even if I'm supposed to trust you, how am I supposed to know feeding him Spirit is going to make him do the ceremony?"

"Well, this is what I have," Tasha said flatly. "You can either take the advice or not."

I struggled inside myself for a moment. Believe her? Or not believe her? I really wanted to. It seemed so easy to trust that familiar face of her. But she had proven that her actions were for her benefit alone.

"You should trust her," Adrian told me, placing both hands on my shoulders. He pulled me into his chest, his lips right next to my ears.

"Really?" I whispered, feeling numb to the core.

"Her aura is white."

"Is that code for she's being sincere?"

"Yah."

I looked at Lissa apologetically. "Do you think you'll be able to do it?"

"I can try." Her gaze flickered to the anonymous Moroi in the corner.

"What's his name?" I asked Tasha.

"Alba."

I nodded. Pulling reluctantly away from Adrian, I crossed the room to Alba.

He didn't look up at me. His hands covered his face in a fearful cowl. He shook and whimpered like a sick dog. It was pathetic. I shuddered at what Dimitri had done to the poor man to make him become such a crushed state.

"Alba," I said, trying to get a soothing nature to my stressed, worn voice. "Look at me."

He didn't move.

"Alba, look at me in the eyes," I urged, touching his shoulder. Instantly, his body jerked under my touch. He looked slowly up at me, shivering. His face was wrinkled and bruised. By the looks of it, I guessed that Alba was a common Moroi, possibly in his seventies.

"Look at my eyes," I told him. "See. Brown. Not red. I'm a Dhampir."

"You're not a Strigoi," he said with wonder.

"No, my name is Rose. I'm a Guardian and I'm here to help you."

Alba smiled thinly…or grimaced. His face didn't seem to quite obey him just yet. "Who said I needed saving?"

"My common sense," I told him sarcastically. "But I need your help too."

Alba breathed in deeply and coughed. His throat was scratchy with phlegm. "I'm in your debt."

"I need you to help Robert turn Dimitri back into a Guardian."

Alba's eyes suddenly lit with a fiery anger. "I won't do anything to help _him_." I could understand his fury. Dimitri treated Alba like a dog.

"But Dimitri isn't like that," I told him, feeling slightly offended. "If you help Robert turn him back, you'll see."

Alba took my hands in his frail palms. They shook gently with exhaustion. He looked me directly in the eyes. "You are too young to be anything but naive," he told me frankly. "What makes you think your life can ever go back to the way it was?"

"I—"

Alba shook his head. "Dimitri has _killed_ people." His voice rang with confidence, despite it cracking from disuse. His thin, feverish face filled with passion and sympathy. "Even if this works, it does not pardon him for his deeds. He…he has killed so many."

I felt Mischa's silent eyes on my back. I knew that Dimitri had killed people. He killed her mother. Mischa would never see her again…and most likely would never forgive Dimitri, even if he was de-Strigoi-ed.

"I know," I whispered. I was scared, honestly. That badass Rose Hathaway that had stepped out of St. Vladimir's with a purpose and confidence was gone. I was what replaced her…I was the new Rose. And I knew that Alba was right. But still…I had to try. "Please, Alba."

Alba sighed, looking reluctant. "I suppose I can't refuse when I'm in debt," he remarked. "Now help me up. I'm not as young as I used to be." I laughed, supporting Alba with my shoulder as he pulled himself up. He stumbled, trying to walk with me as his crutch over to Dimitri and Robert.

As we approached, Robert's eyes widened. His eyes sparkled with a familiarity. "We are one," he voiced. There was a certain unusual clarity to his words.

Alba tilted his head. His thin white hair swayed down his back. "He's a Spirit user, isn't he? And a powerful one."

I nodded, beckoning for Lissa and Adrian to join me. They quickly rushed to my side.

"Now what?" I asked Tasha, who was still sitting contentedly on the sidelines.

"Now you listen to him," she told me. "He's the best person to direct you from this point."

I groaned. "Okay…" I looked at Robert. "So what do we do now?"

"Circle…Circle…In a circle." Was I getting so tired that I actually understood what he was saying?

Lissa and Adrian seemed to understand it as well. They rushed around to the other side of Dimitri. I helped Alba hobble over, making a lopsided circle around Dimitri's body.

I stepped back from the group, looking at them.

"No…not right." Doru murmured, looking frustrated. "NO! NO! NO!"

"What's wrong now?" I demanded.

Mischa suddenly spoke up. "He seemed happier when you were there."

"Oh…alright." I went back to stand by Robert. He smiled when he saw me push into the circle next to him.

"Kissed," he said brightly. "You're Kissed."

"I'm Shadow Kissed," I confirmed tentatively. Was that why he needed me?

"You are?!" Alba exclaimed in surprise. "You…but you're…you're sane!"

"I think anyone would look sane in comparison to this guy," I said sarcastically, nudging Robert.

"Yes, but—"

"Hands…hands!" Robert cut in. He held out his hands into the middle of the circle. His fingers were squeezed together but touching the ones on the other hands; it was like he was diving.

We all mimicked him. I looked everyone. What a group we were. Four Moroi Spirit users and a Shadow Kissed partner.

"No….Not right." Robert exclaimed. He broke the circle of hands, pointing at Dimitri. "Touch life."

I frowned. I slowly bent down to my knees. Robert nodded, filling in the gap I had left. "Hands." Robert urged. His voice was so…sane now. Not compared to the hazy voice of the mental patient I had carried up twenty some flights of stairs. The hands above me formed a star like pattern above my head.

I touched the stake lodged in Dimitri's chest. It seemed to be squeezing itself out of his chest. The regeneration was slowly but surely healing the forces of the stake.

"Hands," Robert repeated quickly.

"Oh. Right." One hand on the stake, I reached up with my other hand and touched it to the center of fingers.

"So do we start feeding him power now?" Adrian asked cautiously.

"I guess so."

Just like before, I could feel the vibrations in the air as Lissa, Adrian, and Alba began to draw upon their Spirit and send it through their hands and into Doru. Whether it was another Shadow Kissed ability or not, I was unsure, but the coursing power then began to get shoved into me.

I gasped aloud in surprise. It was painful. Like someone was ripping apart the muscles in my arm. I hissed, biting my lip in pain. The pain spread slowly and surely into my chest, swirling around my chest. It was unbearable. I wanted to cry, but I refused to let out a noise. Everyone seemed to focused, I didn't want to bother them. And just like that, the pain subsided a bit. Not a lot, but enough for me to handle. The Spirit power that had flowed into Doru, been magnified with his own power, and shoved into my arm was now flowing into the stake.

Dimitri began to stir, but he remained asleep. His eyes began to roll around in their sockets, like a person in a dream.

Lissa cringed above me. Through our bond, I could tell she was beginning to feel the dark edges of Spirit begin to eat at her. I quickly began to open my heart to hers, allowing the negative emotions to flood into me instead of her. But this only increased the flow of Spirit.

"Ugh," I cringed, as my whole body began to tingle with burning fire.

Robert laughed crazily. "YES! YES!"

I glared at him. Dimitri didn't look any better than he had when Mischa staked him in the first place.

Suddenly the magic cut off. Robert had removed his hands. "Wait—"I said, feeling unfinished. The magic still fluttered within my stomach, and I didn't think it had actually accomplished anything concrete. Dimitri still looked like a Strigoi.

"Rose…"

I glared at Adrian. "What?" I said frustratedly. Working with someone who had half a brain or less really didn't give me the best mood. My aching muscles didn't help the matter either.

"I didn't say anything," Adrian said, raising his hands in innocence.

"You didn't? I could've sworn—"

"Rose…"

I froze. Slowly, not wanting to believe it, I turned to Dimitri.

His eyes were open. He looked at me tiredly and in pain. "Rose…"

I didn't want to believe it. Looking at his face…I didn't want to believe it. Those blood red eyes were different now. They were brown.

"Oh my god," I cried, collapsing onto all fours with disbelief. My emotions were raging from bliss to shock to relief.

Robert tapped me on the back, bringing me back to Earth. I opened my mouth to thank him. I wanted to kiss the man. I was in his debt.

Robert shook his head slowly, his face emotionless. I frowned. Even though he wasn't sane, something told me what he had to say would be just barely coherent enough for me to understand.

"What?" I asked.

Smiling sleepily, he took my hands and looked me deep in the eyes. "There is no forever."

**[[A/N: Last chapter for a while! I'll continue it again once I get far enough into or finish my JaninexAbe fanfiction. Thanks for all the support again! Please watch out for the next chapters of this story. I hopefully won't be putting it on the shelf for so long.]]**


	26. Author's Note: Story News

**Dear Readers,**

**Hey you guys! Spirit Bound is out (or coming out tomorrow)! Don't spoil **_**anything**_** for me if you have already read it. I'm taking a trip to my local bookstore after school tomorrow to go buy it, but I don't want any premature spoilers. **

**Anyways, I've decided to restart this plot in a Last Sacrifice story because continuing now will probably make me realize I am crap compared to Richelle Mead's Spirit Bound. **

**Please keep an eye out for it and check it out when it comes out. In case you're wondering, the plot is going to cover Dimitri's…state of being (I can't think of a better word for it right now), a love triangle, a possible ghostly appearance, and the secrets of Dimitri's new sunwalking abilities and usage of Spirit users (because they are connected :])**

**So, recap. The continuation for Blood Red will come out in a new story after I finish my Janine fanfiction. It'll start off where we finished with Dimitri *****spoiler alert* being turned back into a Dhampir (or did he?). **

**Thanks for all the support! Reviews, story alerts, and favorites all make me want to keep writing. I hope you guys can continue reading my stories. **

**Sincerely, **

**Kame :]**


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